The Cracked Badge
by ariandula
Summary: Nancy and the Hardys are back in Bayport for only hours before learning that Chief Collig is in deep trouble. Can they help him before someone gets hurt? More importantly, can Nancy and Frank actually make their relationship work? Follows DF!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back! And this time I should be sticking around for the summer. This new story takes place hours after Disappearing Frost ended. You don't have to read DF first, but everything will make a lot more sense if you do :) Guys, I'm so excited to write the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew again! **

**I've been MIA for too many months, and that includes reading stories too. If you've been writing a story, let me know about it and I'd love to check it out! **

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"You'll remember where you put the car, you said. Mom and Dad don't need to drive us, we'll just drive ourselves and do long-term parking, you said. How's that working out for you, Frank?"

"Stop being so dramatic, Joe. I'm sure the car is around here somewhere."

"Didn't you save your parking slip?"

"I wasn't anticipating this being such a problem, Nancy."

"That and he may have accidentally left it inside the car."

"I didn't want to lose it. I figured that that way we would automatically know where the slip was when it was time to pay, unlike last time."

"Hey, at least I didn't forget where the car was."

Frank, Joe, and Nancy had just been dropped off by the airport shuttle in the center of the giant lot that served as long-term parking. Their flight back from Europe had been long and turbulent, so much so that a stewardess had fallen down in the aisle on a particularly bad bump. None of the three was at their best, and Nancy felt the impending doom of a Hardy argument brewing in spite of the brothers' close relationship. Once that happened, all hope of finding the car in a timely manner was blown. She knew that Frank had plenty on his mind, including the pain from a recent gun-shot wound, and she wanted to get him home as soon as possible.

"What does your car look like?"

"It's a green Honda Civic, license plate DCG 6624." Frank ran his hand through his dark brown hair in agitation.

"How very normal of you."

"Thanks, I think."

"I just meant that the two of you used to usually travel in some kind of style, as I remember it."

"Well, this car is just mine, and it was very highly rated."

"Meaning, big snooze-fest," Joe inserted.

Nancy looked around the huge lot as the brothers squabbled over Frank's choice of vehicle. There were a lot of Civics, and a many of them were some shade of green.

"Does it have a remote lock?"

Frank held up his keys. "Sure."

Nancy reached out and clicked the button, and a car four rows away from them lit up with a beep.

"Huh. That was clever," Joe remarked, tugging at his blond hair.

"Haven't you ever seen While You Were Sleeping?"

He frowned in response. "Isn't that a chick movie?"

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Boys."

A few minutes later found the three detectives and all of their luggage packed tightly in the small car and heading towards the freeway.

Joe's blue eyes caught Nancy's in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure you're okay back there, Nan?"

"Yes, I'm fine, though I appreciate your concern."

He huffed. "Concern nothing. I just don't want to have to stop once we get out of the city."

Frank turned around as much as the front seat would allow him. "I don't mind changing places with you, if you want."

Nancy smiled at him, but declined. "We've been over this. Your arm will be a lot more comfortable up there. Also, you are much taller than I am. You'd hardly fit with all of this luggage.

His look was wistful as he responded, "We could put it all up here and we could sit together."

"Absolutely not," Joe interjected. "I am not chauffeuring you two lovebirds. Consider the line drawn right there."

Frank glared at his younger brother. He had waited years to be with Nancy, and now that a relationship was on the verge of happening, it wouldn't kill him to act a little supportive.

"Joe's right, Frank. And besides, it wouldn't change the fact that you'd be more comfortable where you are. Now turn around so I can get some rest." She didn't like being firm with the older Hardy, but he was cranky and starting to get unreasonable. They hadn't had any time alone since that night in the hotel and she missed him. All Nancy wanted was to find a big soft bed and snuggle up to him. And then maybe they'd wake up with more energy…

She looked up to see Joe watching her in the mirror again and blushed deeply, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming. He raised an eyebrow at her and she shook her head in response, hoping he would go back to watching the road instead. Joe mouthed, "Thank you," and then did just that.

After a few minutes, Frank reached over to turn on the radio. An AM news station filled the sound in the car.

"Um, I don't think so," Joe said and turned to a station playing alternative rock.

Frank turned it back. "My car, my radio."

"I'm driving, so I get to decide." Joe was just about to turn it a third time when Nancy stopped him.

"Wait, Joe. Listen." She wasn't sure what she heard, but her nerves were tingling.

"You know, just because you two have a thing now doesn't mean you always have to take his si – "

"Listen!"

"_It is unsure whether or not Police Chief Ezra Collig of Bayport will end up resigning in the face of these allegations. There have been no official statements released, though speculation among town residents is running rampant. Now for international news…_"

Frank turned down the volume of the radio and the Hardy brothers sat in silence for a few moments, stunned at the news.

Joe finally broke the tense moment. "What in the world could he have done that would have people demanding he resign?" His voice was quiet and confused. Chief Collig had never been Joe's best friend, but he was a good chief who cared about the people of Bayport.

"It doesn't make any sense. There must be some big misunderstanding." Frank said, his reasonable side taking over. "We'll be back in town soon, and hopefully Dad can fill us in."

Nancy knew she should be more concerned. Two of her closest friends were very distressed over the news of the chief. But she was so tired, and Joe's steady driving was lulling her into sleep. She laid her head on the bag wedged next to her and promptly succumbed.

* * *

Frank glanced back as the car rolled to a stop in front of his parents' house. Nancy was still dead asleep, her red hair falling out of its loose bun and hiding part of her face. The last few weeks had been rough on her and he longed to hold her in his arms, lending her whatever strength he had.

As he got out of the car with those thoughts, Frank accidentally bumped his left arm, causing painful fire raced down to his fingertips. _It'll be at least a few weeks before I have much strength to give_, he thought miserably. He would never forget the relief he felt when first realized their last case was all over. They had succeeded in capturing jewel-thieving bombers, but in the process Joe suffered a head injury and he had a new hole in his arm, courtesy of an unstable, hired thug. He thanked his lucky stars that Nancy was generally unscathed.

"Are you going to wake her, or should I?" Joe asked, noticing that Frank was clenching and unclenching his left fist. He hated seeing his brother in pain, knowing that he should have been there sooner.

"I don't want anyone to wake her." She looked so peaceful and he couldn't bear to take that from her.

"Well, she can't stay in the car. Mom would never forgive you." Joe nudged Frank out of the way of the open backseat door. "Move."

Frank looked suspiciously over at his brother. "Why? You're not going to do anything to her, are you?" He was remembering a time a couple weeks ago when Nancy had played a joke on Joe when he was half asleep. Needless to say, Joe had not been amused.

"Relax. I'm just going to carry her inside."

Before Frank could respond, Joe had Nancy effortlessly cradled in his strong arms and halfway to the front door. Jealously burned through his veins even though he told himself to calm down. He knew that Nancy was nothing more than a sister to Joe, but he couldn't stand the image of another guy taking care of her better than he could.

Joe looked back at his brother and smirked after he rang the doorbell. "Don't worry, payback will be coming. Just not at a time when Mom will be around to catch me."

The door flew open, revealing Laura Hardy's slim frame. Her sharp blue eyes widened at the sight of Nancy limp in his arms.

"What happened?" She asked, stepping aside and gesturing for Joe to come inside.

"Nothing, Mom. She fell asleep and Frank was too soft to wake her up." He made his way into the living room and gently set the slumbering girl on a sofa.

Frank came up behind them, saying, "I just didn't see the point. She's been through a lot."

Laura glanced at her son's arm, then back up to his brown eyes. "So have you all."

His mouth softened into a smile at his mother's masked concern and pulled her into a hug with his good arm. "I'm sorry I worried you, Mom."

"I know, dear. I'm just glad you came home safe." Laura squeezed her son a final time, reassuring herself that he actually was there, then let him go.

After receiving a similar hug, Joe asked, "Where's Dad? We heard something on the radio about Chief Collig."

"You father is at the agency working on another cheating husband case. Be grateful that you've been gone. He's had a rash of that type lately, even though he hates working them."

Frank and Joe exchanged a knowing look. They had worked a number of those cases themselves and they almost always ended up the same way. If the wife was suspicious enough to hire them, the husband was going to be a cheater. Their job was to collect evidence, usually involving many hours of boring stakeouts.

"Chief Collig?" Frank pressed.

Laura wrung her hands in a rare display of anxiety. "Yes, well, no one is exactly sure what's going on. People around town say he's not doing a good enough job anymore and want him gone. Fenton can tell you more at dinner. Now come, let's make up an actual bed for Nancy."

Frank knew there was more to the story, and judging by the look on Joe's face, so did he. Glancing down at Nancy, he decided it could wait until he talked to his dad. All he wanted was to lie down with her, hopefully sleeping off some of the past few days.

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**Reviews are SO appreciated :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi friends! So I'm thinking I'll update about once a week. Definitely no less than that. Do you have a preferred day when you read fanfic? Last year I posted every other day for quite a while and it was stressful. I like fanfic to be fun!**

**Many thanks and gold stars to the reviewers of Chapter 1! - Nancy Hardy, alybro0512, maggierose17, AZWriter, Aphrodite2, Prismatic Iris, Colie88, Marie, Vee22**

**I forgot the disclaimer last week: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a yellow flower vase and two tulips. **

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**The Cracked Badge**

**Chapter 2**

"Frank, you look like death warmed over. Why don't you go take a nap in your room? Joe can carry Nancy up to his."

Joe caught Frank's eye. This was an interesting turn of events. "But Mom, how do you know I don't want my own bed?"

Laura eyed her youngest son. "Dear, you are clearly wide awake. And besides, you can sleep anywhere, including the couch. Frank is recovering and Nancy is our guest."

Joe shrugged. He had tried. If Frank wasn't going to speak up, he sure wasn't about to. "Alright. Sure, Mom. I'll just go grab Nancy then."

"And by grab, you mean gently pick up without waking and take her upstairs, right?" Frank clarified.

Joe didn't miss the warning in his brother's voice and responded innocently, "Of course. What else could I have meant?"

"I don't even want to know." Frank muttered, almost to himself. He really was tired, and a nap in his boyhood bed was sounding really good to him. He had thought that his parents would have picked up on the state of his and Nancy's relationship, but for being a family of detectives they sure could be oblivious. If they didn't already know, he wanted to wait until Nancy was with him to share.

Joe watched his brother disappear into the old bedroom before entering his own. After gently depositing Nancy on his bed, he pulled the covers over her and turned to exit. A small hand suddenly gripped his arm, surprising him.

"No, don't go. Stay with me."

"Huh?" Nancy's eyes were still closed, but her voice sounded wide awake. Was it possible she knew who she was talking to?

"Lie down with me. I miss you." She rolled on her side to face him.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Drew, considering you're currently with my brother."

"Your bro – what?" One of her blue eyes popped open and focused on him. "Joe?"

"You got it."

"I thought you were Frank." She pulled the covers more securely over her body, even though she was fully clothed.

"I had hoped so."

"Don't tell him about this."

"Aw, come on. It's a great story." He smirked as he spoke.

Now her other eye opened as well. "Joe!"

He sighed. Another perfect opportunity to annoy his brother lost. "Fine, I won't tell him."

Nancy's face smoothed out, her eyes slowly closing again. "Thanks."

"Sure thing, Nancy Drew. Don't mention it." But the exhausted girl was already asleep. Joe shrugged, went downstairs, and turned on the TV. Within minutes, he too was out.

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Frank felt completely disoriented when he awoke. His bed was too small and there were voices downstairs. He didn't even have a downstairs in his apartment. Taking a minute to focus, he remembered why the room was so familiar and made his way down the stairs in his parents' house.

"So, Nancy, how long do you plan to stay in Bayport?" Frank heard her mother's voice ask from the kitchen.

"It's not official yet, but it's likely that I'll be able to get a month's leave with the right paperwork. I was hoping to stay around, maybe dropping down to DC once in a while to grab some things."

Frank came into the room to see Nancy, Joe, and his mother sitting around the small table eating cookies. The three of them looked up when he entered, and he couldn't help but be drawn to Nancy's smiling face.

"Morning, Frank," Joe said through a mouthful of chocolate chips.

He frowned. "Morning?"

"Joe, stop it," Laura scolded, even as she laughed. She had missed her sons with their teasing ways. Turning to Frank she said, "He's just kidding. You all slept for a couple of hours, that's it."

Frank sat in the empty chair next to Nancy and grabbed a cookie for himself. Not looking at her, he slid his hand onto Nancy's knee under the table. She shivered noticeably at the contact. Frank grinned at his cookie.

"Nancy, dear, are you alright?" Laura asked Nancy, concern showing on her face

"Yes, I'm fine. I guess I just felt a draft." She looked up to see Joe eyeing her and Frank with a knowing look. She glared back in response. But Nancy soon forgot her annoyance as she felt Frank begin to slide his hand… She reached down and grabbed his hand to still his motion.

The door in the front room opened, and seconds later Fenton came into the kitchen.

"I thought I smelled cookies," the distinguished looking man remarked. It struck Nancy again how much he looked like an older version of Frank, and decided that if that was how Frank aged, she wouldn't complain.

Joe rose to his feet to greet his father. "Hey, Dad. How'd the stake out go?"

Fenton hugged first one son and then the other before answering. "You know how it goes –lots of waiting. This one was no different. It's good to see you boys home and safe. You too, Nancy."

"I'm happy to be here, Fenton." Silently she added, _I'm also glad that you interrupted Frank, since he was starting to drive me crazy in front of his mother. _

"We're actually glad you're home, Dad. See, we heard something on the radio… " Joe started.

"Already pumping the old man for information? I guess it's to be expected, coming from you three. What did you hear?"

"Chief Collig, dear," Laura said quietly.

"Oh." Fenton ran a hand through his graying hair. "What kind of garbage are the news stations spreading?"

"We didn't catch much of it," Frank spoke up. "Just something about him being forced to resign because of allegations."

"I hope that's all that was said. That much is true, though none of the allegations have any merit." He paused. "Laura, is dinner almost ready? Perhaps we should all be settled before I get into this."

As if on cue, the timer on the oven buzzed and Laura hurried over to turn it off. "There's your answer. Joe, if you could set the table? We can eat in just a few minutes."

"Why me? Frank's just sitting there too."

Laura fixed her youngest son with a look. "Your brother has a hole in his arm."

Joe turned to Frank as he rose and said so only he could hear, "You're going to get a lot of mileage out of that, aren't you?"

Frank just smirked. He was kind of enjoying the benefits, even though the wound ached.

"Maybe I should get myself shot," Joe muttered to himself and proceeded to set the table.

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"Pass the lasagna, please."

"Sure thing, Joe."

"May I have more water, Laura?"

"Nancy, you know to treat this like home. Just help yourself."

Frank was becoming impatient. They were almost done eating, except for Joe of course, and his father hadn't said anything more about the police chief. He didn't want to push him, but he had to know what was going on.

"Dad, what about the chief?" The chatter between the other four stopped, trailing off into unfinished sentences.

Fenton sighed and pulled his napkin from his lap, settling more comfortable into the chair.

"Ezra has had a lot to deal with these past few weeks. Months, really, though no one really knew about it. Bayport seems to have developed a drug problem."

Joe frowned. He remembered the times at parties he was pressured to try things. "Bayport's always had drugs."

"Not like this. Cocaine is coming in through the port, though no one seems to know how. There's also been an increase in violence. An officer was murdered on the docks a couple weeks ago with no suspects and no sure motives, but everyone assumes it was related to the drugs."

"So how does Chief Collig fit into all this?" Frank asked.

"There is a faction of people who have decided that he's too old to continue on in his job. They want someone new, younger, who will fix all the problems in Bayport."

"No one can do that," Joe scoffed. "There are always going to be problems."

"Well, it didn't help that a couple of officers on the squad came out and supported this group. They're saying that Ezra is incompetent and a dirty cop. They think he's allowing these things to happen on his watch." Noticing Frank's stony face, he added, "Don't worry, they're nobody that you boys know." His sons had often worked closely with or around the Bayport police. Hearing of the mutiny of men they had come to respect would be upsetting.

Nancy took that in. A chief's own officers coming out against him? That was almost unheard of, and certainly would incite the town's anger against the man.

"The mayor is involved now," Fenton continued. "I'm not quite sure which side he's on. He hasn't exactly defended him, but he hasn't condemned him yet, either." He gathered his dishes and took them to the sink for rinsing, signaling the end of the discussion. "You guys made it back just in time. There's a town meeting tomorrow evening. Ezra has requested the opportunity to speak to the town. I plan to go, and you're welcome to join me."

"Of course, Dad. We wouldn't miss it," Frank answered. "Nancy?"

"I'm with you," she said, understanding. She knew the man was important to them.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. I've been so busy with these stupid cases that I haven't done as much as I could for Ezra. Now that you're back, hopefully that will change." Giving his wife a quick kiss, he disappeared into his study.

Frank, Joe, and Nancy looked at each other. They definitely had work to do. Something wasn't right, and without having to speak they knew they were going to try to figure it out.

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**Review, please? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good evening dear readers! (Or morning, or afternoon, I suppose..) Okay, I know I set it up for the town meeting to happen next, but this was one of those times when the chapter mostly wrote itself without my permission. I was planning a very short scene before moving on to the meeting, and then this happened. Sheesh... stories have minds of their own sometimes... But I hope that this doesn't disappoint, and the next chapter WILL have the meeting in it!**

**A baker's dozen of Einstein Bros Bagels to the reviewers of chapter 2: Nancy Hardy, Aphrodite2, AZWriter, Julie, Colie88, KennaC, MCR-1993, Smithy, Gotta Dance 88 - Much love to you all :)  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a suitcase for travel to Vegas and LA this week!**

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The Cracked Badge

Chapter 3

"Well, I think I should be getting home. Do you want to take your car since it's here, Frank?" Joe asked as they began clearing away the dinner dishes.

"No way is my injured son living by himself. You will stay right here," Laura interjected, her voice firm.

Frank responded to this dryly, "Mom, Joe and I live in the same complex. It's not like I'm ever really alone."

"Hey, it's not my fault you gave me a spare key," Joe said as he finished rinsing his plate.

"So do you want your brother taking care of you instead, Frank?" Laura asked, and Frank didn't even hear a hint of jealously. She genuinely seemed to just want her son to be okay, and she didn't care who did it.

"Not happening," Joe responded before Frank had a chance to. "I have my own things to worry about. Besides, Nancy can do that."

Frank shot daggers at Joe's back with his eyes, willing him to not say anything more about the two of them.

Fortunately for him, Laura didn't quite pick up on what Joe meant. "How can she take care of Frank when she's staying here?"

Joe grinned inwardly. It was just too easy. "No kidding. I guess Nancy would be staying here, leaving no one to take care of Frank."

"I don't require a babysitter!" Frank tried to insist, but no one seemed to care what he thought.

"Nonsense, dear," Laura said as she bustled around the kitchen. "You need rest and someone to take care of you. After getting shot, it's the least you could do for me. I hate the thought of you trying to do everything on your own and in pain."

"It's fine, Frank," Nancy said, trying to smooth things over. "Your mother needs you here. I'll stay in Joe's old room while you stay in yours. Once you're feeling better we can work something else out."

Frank understood her hidden message. Once things died down a little they could figure out a way to explain to his parents that they were not only in a relationship, but already in such a relationship to practically live together.

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Nancy retrieved her luggage from the car and went upstairs to deposit the bags in Joe's old room, humming quietly to herself. She didn't notice that Frank had followed her up, hoping for some private time to talk, until he laid a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped and spun around. "Frank! I didn't hear you."

"Your hearing isn't what it used to be," he spoke, smiling at her blush.

"Well, it's your old house. You know how to avoid all the squeaky spots," she responded with mild irritation. She didn't like being snuck up on.

He smiled deeper at her annoyance. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

There was an awkward pause between the two of them. Neither was quite sure what to say next. Even though they were adults, being back in that house with the Hardys just downstairs made them both feel like they were teenagers all over again.

"So, Joe's old room, huh? It's a little weird to stay here, honestly. I mean, anytime I visited I would stay in yours and you bunked with Joe." Nancy sat on the bed as she spoke, taking in the room around her with its blue walls and pictures of girls.

Frank sat next to her, enjoying the memories of them as teenagers that wafted over him. "We can trade if it means that much to you."

She rested her hand on his firm leg. "No, it's fine. Just remembering."

Another silence fell upon them, but this time it was comfortable. The three detectives had a lot of history together, and they let themselves be nostalgic for just a few moments.

"Apparently your parents have no idea what's really going on between us," Nancy said finally.

Frank sighed and ran his right hand through his hair. Nancy recalled how Fenton had done the same thing earlier and grinned.

"What?" Frank asked, noticing her look.

"Nothing. You're just a lot like your dad, that's all."

"If you say so. I guess he wasn't around long enough tonight to really pick up on something between us. Mom's obliviousness kind of surprised me, though."

"I know what you mean. I'd have thought that if anyone would notice it would be your parents. But I was thinking about it, and why would they have any reason to suspect? We were together a lot as teenagers, and there was always a spark as much as we tried to deny it. They never said anything then, so why should they now? It seems like they're just going along as if things are the same as always."

"I guess that makes sense. I know we should tell them. I mean, it's stupid not to, right?" Frank sounded unsure as he spoke, and Nancy took notice.

"What are you worried about?"

"I don't know. It's just so new between us. We've barely even had a chance to be together, and we've never been on a date. Really, it's only been a few days. Face it – we did everything backwards."

Nancy laughed. "That's definitely true. So, what, are you saying you want to keep it just between us for a while?"

"I just don't want it to be a big deal, you know?"

"Frank Hardy, should I be worried about this?" Nancy asked, feigning concern.

Frank clasped her hand reassuringly. "No, of course not. I'm sure about this, us. But I kind of want to keep it that way – just us – for a while."

Nancy smiled at him and squeezed his hand back. "I was just kidding. I'm not really worried about us. I haven't been since we talked at the airport."

Frank felt the relief wash over him. "Good. Like I said, we've done things backwards. We're going to have to figure things out as we go along."

"Right. Agreed." Nancy sat up straighter, feeling businesslike. "So, when do you want to tell your parents? I don't want to pretend that things haven't changed."

"I know. I'm not asking you to lie. Just give me some time to figure how to tell my parents that we're in a relationship. Once I move back to my apartment I want you to come with me, and it's going to be difficult to explain that to them without basically saying that we've slept together. Forgive me for feeling awkward about that."

"Please. Your parents aren't exactly old fashioned on the subject. It's not like they ever gave you a purity ring or anything."

"Isn't that just for girls?"

"Frank."

"Yeah, I know," Frank conceded. "But still. Is that a conversation you'd look forward to having with your dad?"

"Okay, point taken. But we're going to tell them soon, right?"

"Right. Just as soon as things settle down around here. They seem stressed about everything going on with the chief as it is."

Nancy knew Frank well enough to understand that it wasn't just his parents that were stressed about the situation. "We'll figure it out, whatever it is."

He smiled softly down at her. "You've always been there when I needed you."

She looked up into his dark eyes in response. "And that will never change."

Frank leaned down to kiss her, unable to keep himself from tasting her soft mouth any longer. Being across from her at dinner and not allowed to touch her had felt like torture. He heard her sigh upon the first touch of lips and felt her body relax into his side. His hand trailed up her arm to her cheek, cupping it gently and caressing the soft skin he found there. He pressed his lips harder, opened wider, feeling more urgency. Who knew when they would get another chance?

Nancy pressed herself against Frank, wanting to be feeling so much more of him. Her heart fluttered at the sensation of firm lips moving against her own. His hand moved to her back and she began to feel herself shifting, his body pressing her downwards…

"Frank, no. Stop," she said as she broke the kiss, breathing deeply between each word.

"What?" He asked, kissing her again.

Nancy pulled farther away. "This is your parents' house. This is Joe's room."

"I'm glad someone finally remembered that little fact." Both Nancy and Frank whipped their heads around to find the source of the new voice.

"Joe, what are you doing here?" Frank asked with more than a little annoyance.

"It's my room, just like she said," he said as he rolled his eyes. "But seriously, Mom sent me up with your things, Frank. You should be more careful what you do in front of open doors. You're lucky she asked me instead of doing it herself."

Frank sighed and pulled all the way away from Nancy, dropping his hand. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry."

"I'll just go put these in your room." Joe turned to go, then paused and faced them again. "Just so I know, are you guys telling Mom and Dad about this anytime soon?"

The couple exchanged looks. "We're just not sure we're ready to deal with everyone knowing and treating us differently. We haven't even figured things out for ourselves yet." Frank finally answered.

"I get it – no big deal. I can keep my mouth shut," Joe's mouth quirked at this, "right Nancy?"

She visibly reddened at his smirk. "Sure, Joe, if you say so." Frank looked at her quizzically and she just shook her head in response.

Instead of going on to Frank's room with the bags he held, Joe paused in the doorway again. "Anything else?" Frank asked as he stood up to leave.

"It's just that, well, you know if I thought you wanted me to, I would have taken care of you at the apartments, right?" Joe had felt a little guilty about opposing so forcefully earlier. At the time he just hadn't wanted to get stuck between him and Nancy, but he wasn't sure that Frank understood.

Frank cuffed his brother's shoulder with his right fist. "I know that. Who took care of me when we were still in Europe?"

Joe rolled his eyes again, but couldn't hold back his grin. "Don't remind me."

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**I'd _really_ love your review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Back to the mystery - the town meeting is here! **

**Thanks to the reviewers of chapter 3 - Colie88, MCR-1993, Aphrodite2, KennaC**

**Also, special thanks to KennaC for talking me down from a ledge of sorts. Chapter 4 may not have happened without her encouragement. You're the best!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a very large cactus. **

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The Cracked Badge

Chapter 4

"I'd like to welcome you all to this conference called by the request of Ezra Collig, police chief of the city of Bayport. He's planning to respond to any questions the public may have and then make a short statement. Following him, Mayor Sandberg has prepared his own statement to the press. Chief Collig."

Nancy watched the mayor assistant step away from the podium and take his seat next to the mayor. He was a small, stocky man with a bald spot like Friar Tuck. Glancing around the large room, she took in the expressions on the townspeople's faces. The only way to describe the feeling in the room was tense. Historically, Bayport had seen its share of crime, but it was always kept quiet, leaving the image of a sleepy, peaceful town intact. That image had been disrupted lately, and the people wanted change.

"Look, there are some of the policemen," Frank whispered to her, pointing towards a corner of the room. She looked and saw a group of men standing closely together, talking among themselves.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address the allegations against me. I'll now take your questions." The chief's voice was strong but quiet as the room fell silent.

Even the air felt heavy and thick as everyone in the room waited to see who would throw the first stone. Finally, a frail looking woman on the front row stood and pointed an accusing finger at the chief. "Because of you the drug problem in this city has run rampant. How do you plan to fix the mess you've caused?"

Collig didn't even flinch at her harsh tone, instead answering stoically. "We are in the process of implementing several courses of action, including undercover officers and round-the-clock watches on the docks."

A man toward the center of the room stood up. "Chief Collig, speaking of the docks, what is being done about Officer Packer?"

"We have a couple of leads we're following. Currently, though, we have no direct suspects."

A woman's voice rang out. "How do you respond to those who say that you had no business sending him down to the docks in the first place?"

The chief bowed his head, almost unnoticeably. "Without investigating the docks we have no way of cutting off the drugs from the likely source. What happened to Packer is a sad event. It hit everyone hard, especially me. But an officer's duty is to protect the people, and no one joins the force without understanding the risks. I wish it wasn't that way, but until we live in a perfect world, officers will never be completely safe. There was cause to believe that important information could be learned that specific night and place, and he volunteered to be the one to find it. If I could turn back time, I would."

"What about the other officer that was with him?"

"There has been a thorough investigation into what happened that night. There have been no charges against the other officer and he was found to have done everything to protocol. It was a wrong place wrong time type situation for Packer."

Nancy and the Hardys felt more than heard the murmur in the room. People were starting to whisper uncomfortably. They weren't getting the answers they wanted, but Nancy knew that at this point there probably weren't many answers for the chief to give.

"So what happens next, chief? This town needs change! We're scared for our children!" A woman clutching a baby had stood up towards the front to shout the words. Her face was contorted in fear and rage.

Collig cleared his throat. "Allow me to make my statement. It has become very apparent to me that the town believes I am doing a dissatisfactory job. I have come to accept that perhaps my time is past. I hereby resign as the chief of police, effective immediately."

The murmur grew into a low rumble, and Nancy looked around nervously.

"I will stay on only long enough to train the new chief in his duties, though I doubt he'll require much help from me. I sincerely hope the town will be restored to the Bayport you remember."

With those final words, the former chief of police stepped away from the podium, head held high, and sat next to his dear wife in the front row. Nancy glanced over at Frank and Joe to see them wearing identically dark expressions. Fenton and Laura didn't look much different, either. Unfortunately, they seemed to be in the minority. Many people in the room were nodding their heads, smug satisfaction clear on their faces. She had never seen anything quite like it, though she'd never lived in a small town like Bayport. The people were scared and angry, with a right to feel that way, but Nancy felt they were taking it to the extreme. A witch hunt had taken place in front of her eyes, and they may have just caught their prey.

"We appreciate your patience with this delicate situation," the mayor said smoothly once he had risen. At that statement the rumble died down to a few errant grumbles.

"As the mayor, I want to thank Ezra Collig for his many years of fine service to the city of Bayport. He has dedicated his life to the wellbeing of the town, and deserves some respect." He stood away from the microphone and clapped his hands. A half-hearted applause joined in with him before quickly dying away. Noticing, he continued swiftly to alleviate the awkward moment. "That being said, it seems to be time for a change. Please allow me to introduce the new appointment of police chief of Bayport, Gabriel Clarke. Come on up here, son."

Nancy watched as a young-looking man stepped confidently to the front of the room, dressed in the police uniform of Bayport. He stood next to Mayor Sandberg as the room broke into applause, and this time it was obviously sincere.

The man gave a lopsided smile and a small wave as the applause continued. The mayor leaned over and spoke in his ear. Once he had finished, Clarke nodded and stepped up to the microphone.

"Mayor Sandberg has requested that I say a few words. First of all, I want to express my deep gratitude to Ezra Collig. If I can be half the man and chief that he has been Bayport will be a safe town indeed. That being said, I pledge to you right now that things are going to change for the better around here. I won't let these drug lords get away with terrorizing our people. Your families deserve more than that, and I am determined that you will get what you deserve."

Frank couldn't help but feel like he was listening to a politician's speech, complete with random applause that never seemed to stop. There was nothing wrong with what the man was saying. He even seemed like he meant it all, and that bothered Frank even more. It would have been so much easier if he could have hated the man straight off.

There was a small commotion in the back of the room that drew Frank out of his thoughts. He followed Joe's gaze to watch a young officer storm out of building, the door slamming behind him. He noticed for the first time that Con Reilly was standing among the officers gathered there, and he was looking uneasily towards the door. Reluctantly, he separated himself from the group and slipped out the exit.

Turning back to Joe, he whispered, "I wonder what that was all about."

"I know. Did you see Con follow him?"

"Yeah, must be a friend of his or something."

The meeting was breaking up as townspeople migrated to the front of the room to welcome Chief Clarke. The Hardys stood and began moving towards the exit. None of them felt the need to linger in the poisonous environment.

"We should go talk to the chief," Frank said. "Well, former chief now, I guess."

Fenton rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "We will, son, but I think right now he probably just wants to get away from here and be with his wife. I certainly wouldn't blame him."

"We'll invite him to dinner to cheer him up," Laura interjected. "Perhaps tomorrow. I've got that roast in the fridge that needs be used."

Fenton pulled his wife to him. "That's a great idea. I call him and leave a message when we get home."

Nancy followed the brothers over to where Con Reilly stood off by himself at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey, Con. How are you doing?" Joe asked.

"Frank, Joe! I didn't know you guys were back already," the older man said, surprised to see them there.

"Things got worked out sooner than we were expecting," Frank said, subtly nodding his head towards Nancy.

Con raised his eyebrows and looked over at her. "Well, I think I remember you. The infamous Nancy Drew, I presume?"

She smiled at the officer. "You've got it. I ran into the Hardys in Europe and decided to come visit for a while."

"Just in time, too," he said, his face becoming serious again.

"Con, what is going on? Who was that guy that left?" Frank asked, hoping it was an opening to get him to talk.

Con pursed his lips as if debating how much to tell the detectives. "Everything's a little complicated right now. You know I love the chief. I'd give my life for that man. But honestly, Frank, things haven't been good lately. Lots of things slipping through the cracks. I'm not saying it's all been the chief's fault, but things used to be a lot tighter around here."

It was a bit of a non-answer, but Joe wasn't willing to let it go at that. "And the man who left?"

"That would be Officer Jackson. He's one of the newest guys on the force."

"So why would he care so much about Collig?" Frank asked.

Con shifted his weight to the other foot. "I'm not saying he does. He's just had a rough couple weeks, that's all. Doesn't really do well with change." The man glanced around and seemed to spot someone. "I'm real glad you boys are back in town. And you too, Miss Drew," he added, nodding at Nancy. "I've got to run. You only know the tip of the iceberg, but that's all I can give you."

Frank had never seen him look uneasy like that before. "Sure thing, Con. We'll call you and set up a meeting or something."

Con's face closed up. "No, don't call. Honestly boys, you should just stay out of it. Nothing you do will do any good, and we can't deal with more people getting hurt," he responded, and quickly hurried away.

"That was cryptic," Joe remarked as they made their way back over to Fenton and Laura.

"No kidding," Frank agreed. "He usually tells us to keep out, but it was different this time. Something's definitely gotten to him."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Review, please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is a little shorter than I prefer. But, oh - it's a doozy! **

**Thank you thank you thank you Chapter 4 reviewers: Colie88, KennaC, MCR-1993, Gotta Dance 88, Vee22, AZWriter, Nancy Hardy, Aphrodite2, Prismatic Iris**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a new green Dell - now I can write without computer crashes!**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 5

"How are your cases going, Dad?"

"You know how it is. Suspicious women who want proof that their husbands are the scum they, in fact, are."

Joe and Fenton sat in the elder's office, organizing a stack of files outlining Fenton's latest cases. Joe thumbed through one of the manila folders, glancing at the photos taken of men sneaking off with much younger looking women.

"Sounds… scintillating."

Fenton tapped his younger son on the head with a folder of his own. "If that's how you feel, why don't you take them over?"

"I wouldn't want to mess it up. Such excitement requires a practiced eye, such as yourself."

All Fenton did in response was roll his eyes. "So, speaking of relationships…"

Joe knew what his father was coming around to. They were right on schedule for his semiannual don't-you-think-you-should-start-dating-someone talk. "Were we? Really? No, I don't think we were."

"Go with me, here, Joe."

"Dad. I'm young, I'm unsettled. I feel no need to find that one girl right now." He avoided looking up at his dad as he spoke. He knew what he would find – the source of that uncomfortable being-stared-at feeling.

"How long have Frank and Nancy been together?"

At that, Joe's head whipped up to stare at his father. "Wha?"

"Oh come on, did you think I wouldn't notice?" Fenton asked with a wry smile.

"Well, Mom didn't exactly pick up on the giant elephant in the room."

"Bless your mother, but she's made an art out of staying out of things and not asking questions. She's had to over the years for her own protection. And yours."

Joe thought that through. There were more times than he could count that his mom just let him and Frank be. He was sure she worried, but she rarely nagged them about what was going on, and she generally left their cases alone.

"I guess I never really thought about it before."

Fenton fixed him with a look and Joe squirmed a little. "Maybe you should start." The look held for a beat longer before he continued. "But anyway, Frank and Nancy?"

"They, ahem, _got together_ in Europe, produced lots of angst over the whole thing per their norm, then decided once and for all that they were perfect for each other. I think."

His dad mulled over that for not quite a second before saying, "Yes, that does sound true to character."

"So are you going to tell them you know? They've definitely been acting weird, and I for one would be glad to see that stop."

Fenton raised an eyebrow. "Your brother is in love. You expect the weirdness to end anytime soon?"

Joe groaned. "Fantastic."

"Nonsense. Be happy for him. And no, they've chosen to keep it to themselves, so I won't say anything."

"Wouldn't it be easier if it was all out in the open?"

Joe was surprised, then grinned, when he saw the glint of mischief in his dad's eyes as he answered, "Easier for whom?"

* * *

"Frank, are you sure you're okay to help out in the kitchen?"

"Sure, Mom, it doesn't require much movement to peel potatoes. I'm fine."

Nancy watched Laura bustle around the kitchen from her own station chopping carrots. The chief, _former chief_, she corrected herself, was coming over for dinner in just a few hours. His wife had left town unexpectedly to visit an ill sister, so he would be coming alone.

"How did he sound on the phone, Laura?"

"Fenton is the one who talked to him, and he didn't say much about it. I imagine he's feeling a little lost. What he considered his life work has ended prematurely. We're going to do all we can to cheer him up tonight with his favorite meal."

Nancy wasn't sure if a roast could work to make everything okay for the older man, but supposed that it was worth a shot.

"And he didn't say anything more about what's going on around Bayport? Why he resigned?" Frank asked, masking all but a little of the frustration he felt.

"I don't know, dear. You'd have to ask your father."

Nancy looked up from her carrots to see Frank's forehead scrunched up as he fought to control his anxiety. She had to stop herself from going to him and running her fingers across his skin, smoothing out the lines. "We can ask him tonight, Frank. I know you're anxious about it, but we can't rush him."

"Exactly, Nancy. That is what this for." Laura hefted a large bottle of Smirnoff and set it on the counter.

"Mom!" Frank exclaimed, a little shocked. Alcohol, especially anything besides wine or champagne, rarely made an appearance in the Hardy household.

"Close your mouth, Frank. You wanted to get him talking, didn't you?"

* * *

Three hours later found the table set, a roast on a serving plate ready to be cut, and five people waiting for their guest of honor.

"He's almost half an hour late," Laura said, inwardly debating how she could keep the food warm while trying not to worry.

"It's true that in the past Ezra has never been a second late when food was involved, but there's been a lot going on. He probably just got tied up with something," Fenton supplied reasonably. "Let's give it a few more minutes before we sound any alarms."

Twenty minutes later and the group still sat in the living room. No one had said anything for the last five as they all sank further into their individual worries.

"Frank, Joe, why don't you run over to his house and make sure he's okay?" Fenton suggested, breaking the tense silence.

"Do want me to call him first?" Frank asked.

"He hasn't been answering his phone. It was lucky I got through yesterday. Said he'd be taking it off the hook today to avoid reporters."

"Can't say I blame him," Laura murmured.

"Sure, Dad. He only lives a few blocks over. We'll be back soon," Joe said as he got up, pulling his car keys out of his pocket.

"Do you want me to come?" Nancy asked, unwilling to be left out.

"No, don't worry about it," Frank said, ignoring her quizzical look. "Stay here. I'm sure Mom would be grateful for the help heating things up."

It didn't escape Frank's notice that Nancy didn't say anything, instead nodding curtly. He knew she wouldn't like his suggestion to stay there, but he was starting to get a dark feeling about that evening. Something wasn't right, and he didn't want to put her in danger on her vacation.

Frank and Joe pulled up to the curb outside of Collig's house. The house itself was dark, and his car was still in the driveway.

"It looks like he never left," Frank remarked.

"Maybe he fell asleep or something. Let's go knock on the door."

The brothers made their way up the front walk silently. Even though they had no reason to believe that there was anything wrong, instinct kicked in and without speaking they understood the need to be covert. Once they reached the front door, Joe pointed to the handle. It was broken, and the door was still sitting slightly ajar. Frank's heart sank. A sign of a break in was never good news.

Joe pushed the door a couple inches wider with his hip, careful to not touch it with his skin so no marks or fingerprints would be disturbed. He wanted to go crashing in, knowing that Collig could be lying in their injured. But he also knew that whoever broke in could still be in there and they couldn't risk alerting him that someone else was in the house.

They slipped inside the front room and made their way over to the kitchen. There didn't seem to be anything missing or ransacked as they moved through the rooms one by one, Frank trailing Joe. They couldn't risk turning on a light, but the moon was full and the sky cloudless, illuminating most of the house through its many windows and skylights.

Circling around to Collig's study, Joe stopped abruptly, causing Frank to nearly bump into him. Frank peered over his brother's shoulder, wondering what could have caused him to become frozen with shock. What he found there chilled him to his core.

Chief Collig lay face up on the floor, his unseeing eyes confirming that he had been murdered, and freshly so. Blood still welled up from a gaping wound in the man's chest, staining the striped shirt. He had obviously been shot close-range by a person who had no intention to miss. The shiny gun a few feet away validated the assumption. A second man occupied the room, standing over the body.

Joe leaned forward, unable to move his legs but needing to get a closer look at the scene. His shifting weight caused the floorboards to creak. The man went visibly rigid before slowly turning around. Nothing could have prepared the brothers for the face caught in the moonlight:

Con Riley.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! I love reviews... :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, that was a fun cliffhanger, right? I hope you don't all hate me too much for killing off one of Bayport's finest... **

**Giant chocolate chip cookies to the reviewers of Chapter Five: Colie88, Prismatic Iris, AZWriter, MCR-1993, Smithy, Sana Omardeen, luft**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a thin sheet of plexiglass for my foray into the world of jewelry making.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 6

Con Riley's face was deathly pale in the low lighting. Blood smeared the hands he held down in fists by his sides.

"Frank, Joe?"

"What's going on here, Con?" Frank asked quietly, hoping everyone would stay calm.

The man didn't move. "You boys shouldn't be here. Go home and forget you saw anything."

"Fat chance of that," Joe said, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Stop it, Joe. Give him a chance to explain." Frank glared at his brother. "Con?" He asked, insistent this time.

He sighed and moved as if he was going to run his fingers through his hair before he remembered the blood. His hand froze and he stared at it. "I got a message from him saying he needed to talk to me about his suspicions. I was one of the last guys on the squad still believing in the old man."

All three men stilled as they heard the sound of a police siren coming into range. Con's face finally broke its shell-shocked exterior.

"You know I wouldn't do this."

"Did you see the person who did?"

"Police!"

Frank winced as he raised his hands high above his head and turned around to face the man in the doorway. Being closest to the door, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun.

"Don't move," the young officer commanded as he kept his gun trained on Frank. Another officer appeared behind the first, his gun also pulled and at the ready.

"Let these boys go, Jackson," Con said slowly, his hands still raised. The blood made his skin look dark against whiteness of his face.

"Con?"

"Yes. And I'm telling you, these boys had nothing to do with anything."

"Are you confessing?"

"Don't be stupid. But none of us are armed and none of us are going anywhere, so just put the guns away."

Apparently Con's seniority held a lot of sway with the younger officers, since they both did just that after only a small hesitation. Frank had to admire the older man for his commanding presence in the midst of chaos.

Frank and Joe gave their statements, each taken to separate rooms in the house. They explained how Collig was supposed to have been at their house for dinner around the time he was murdered. More officers were brought in as the place became a genuinely sanctioned crime scene.

Both Hardys were released after an hour of heavy questioning, and they exited the house feeling completely drained.

"Just stay out of this, boys. I really mean it."

They looked up to see an officer escorting a cuffed Con Riley into the back of a squad car. "I'd just stop talking if I were you, Riley," the cop said as he ducked the man's head into the car. "Go on home, boys. Do as he says and leave it to us."

"You'd think they'd realize that we're not exactly boys anymore," Joe huffed, his heart only half in it.

Frank didn't even bother rolling his eyes. "Oh, stuff it, Joe. It looks like we have much bigger problems to worry about."

* * *

Frank felt like he was moving through water as he trudged up the few stairs to his parents' house. He hated admitting that he was still weak, but all he wanted to do was drink a glass of milk and fall into bed. He didn't even care anymore about dinner. Joe, however, didn't seem to share his feelings, since the younger Hardy's stomach had been growling loudly ever since they got in his car at the crime scene.

As they crossed the threshold into the house, Laura rushed up to them, Nancy a few steps behind her.

"Where have you boys been? We tried to call you half an hour ago, but Frank left his phone here and Joe never answers his."

Frank caught Nancy's eye. She was watching him closely, and he could tell that she immediately understood that they had just been a part of something very serious. He was grateful that she knew better than to bring it up in front of everyone, giving him some time to figure out how to tell his parents that one of their dearest friends had died, and another had been arrested.

Joe, for his part, decided to let Frank handle the telling. It would be better coming from him, and anyway, Joe wasn't sure how he felt about the whole thing. Con and he had never been best friends, but he hadn't thought the man capable of killing off the job. But he had seen him standing over the body, had seen him put down the gun. He hadn't told Frank that yet. Wasn't sure how to.

"How about we eat some dinner, Mom?" Joe asked, stalling. "We'll tell you about it then."

"Joseph Hardy, do not lie to me. Is Collig okay?" Fenton came to stand behind his wife, looking hard at his sons.

Joe looked over, hoping to defer to Frank, who answered flatly, "No. He's dead."

Laura's hand rose to cover her mouth, and Fenton's eyes closed briefly as his forehead wrinkled in a rare show of emotion. Nancy didn't look surprised. She knew something happened, and in her line of work, nothing really surprised her anymore.

"It gets worse," Frank sighed. "But maybe we should get out of this entryway before I go there."

Fenton came out of his shock. "Of course."

A minute later and they were assembled in similar positions to before Frank and Joe had left to find the scene at Collig's house. Frank knew everyone was looking at him, even Joe, to explain what happened. He decided all he could do was start from the beginning. He looked up into Nancy's encouraging face and started to speak.

"When we entered the room, we found him dead from a gunshot wound." He hesitated. "Con Riley was there too, and he had blood on him. I don't think it was his own. They questioned us for a long time, and when they finally told us we could leave, we saw them arrest him. He told us to stay out of it."

Laura laughed, a humorless, watery sound. "He always does say that."

"Obviously, we've got to help him," Nancy declared. "We'll find out who really did it and clear his name."

Fenton attempted a smile, half failing. "I like the way this girl thinks. But first, we should get some sleep. Nothing is going to happen to Con tonight. In the morning, we'll start a case file with everything you two can remember."

As they all stood up to do just that, Joe hesitated. "Hey Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" she asked wearily.

"Can I heat up some dinner?"

"Ah, my dear son," she said, giving him a hug. "It's so nice to have something to depend on. Even if it's your appetite."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't just want to crash here for the night, Joe?" Laura asked as he finished putting away the mostly uneaten dinner.

"No thanks, my bed missed me too much when I was away."

She chuckled to herself and sat down across the table from her son, propping her feet up on the chair next to him. "You're welcome anytime, you know that."

"Sure." Joe paused, thinking. He scraped his fork against the mashed potatoes stuck to his plate. "Do you ever wonder sometimes, about whether or not someone's capable of murder?"

"Of course. It can be difficult to determine the true nature of one's character. People can be very good actors." Laura had a decently good idea what was bothering Joe, but decided not to bring it up explicitly until he did.

"Even if it's someone you think you've known for years? Someone you've trusted?"

"I wish it weren't true, but there have been many times when someone your father trusted and believed in betrayed him. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't trust anyone. There have been just as many who have stayed true."

"It's just, this thing with Con. I know Frank and Dad don't think he could do it, and I want to feel that way too…"

"But something's bothering you about it."

Joe sat back in his chair. "Yeah." He rubbed hand over his face in frustration. "I saw him set down the gun, Mom. Frank was coming up behind me, so he didn't catch it. I mean, Con's a cop. He would know better than to handle a murder weapon if he wasn't the one who used it."

Laura sat there listening to her son, wishing she could say something to take away his pain. Con was a dear friend of hers. Personally, she didn't believe he had done it. But she knew Joe's concerns were very real.

"That does seem odd. But perhaps there is more to the story of what happened there then what you saw. But I wouldn't keep this from Frank or your father."

"What if they don't want to know? They both love Con and want him freed."

She studied her younger son. Frank and Joe were so frequently thought of as one unit that people often forgot that they were separate people. But Joe was very different from both Frank and his father, who favored each other. He knew he was the tease, the goofball, the class clown. Laura was sure the more serious men in her life would listen just as intently to Joe as she had, but she saw his insecurities very clearly in that moment.

"Joe. You are important member of the team. You see things that they sometimes don't, just as you did tonight. Tell them so that everything is in the open. That way, when we prove him innocent, you won't feel like you left anything out."

* * *

Nancy stepped away from the doorway. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she also didn't think she should interrupt. Probably she should have just forgone her cup of milk and retreated back upstairs, but it was rare to hear Joe speaking so openly and seriously about his feelings. Then she got more than she bargained for when he mentioned seeing Con and the gun. Nancy knew she had to wait until Joe told them himself, but what if he never did?

* * *

**What's a girl to do? Love those reviews... :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**This is a long one. Mostly because I indulged in some shameless fluff. I've been advised (and rightly so) to focus more on the mystery than trying to force a romance, but this first scene just sneaked itself in. Hope it doesn't take away from the rest of the chapter :)**

**Three yays for the chapter 6 reviewers: MCR-1993, Colie88, Nancy Hardy, Marie, KennaC - you are all awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a set of salt and pepper shakers and some Italian spices. **

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 7

Nancy awoke the next morning alert and ready to start investigating. Glancing at the clock, she remembered that Joe would be coming over in an hour to start brainstorming ideas on where to start. She climbed out of bed and put on her robe, listening for water in the bathroom. Hearing nothing, she decided to hop in the shower while she had the chance.

As she quietly padded down the hallway to the bathroom, she heard a curse coming from behind the door to Frank's room. The word was quiet, but sounded packed with frustration. Her heart went out to him. Frank was nothing if not independent, and she knew it was killing him to feel so helpless.

Knocking quietly on the door, she said, "Frank?"

"Shi – yeah?"

Nancy was taken aback by how annoyed he seemed and momentarily debated just saying hello and continuing to the bathroom. No reason to bother an angry bear. But he obviously needed help, even if he would never ask for it. Steeling herself, she turned the knob and pushed open the door to the small, neat room. Then she had to steel herself in a different way, so her laughter wouldn't make things worse.

Frank was sitting on his bed, his t-shirt half off of his body. His left arm was still through the sleeve while the right was free. The main part of the shirt was covering his head, which was caught inside the twisted mess. Nancy thought he kind of looked like an animal who had trapped himself inside a bag.

But, of course, she couldn't tell him that. Instead, she asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yep. Just peachy," came the muffled reply.

"What happened?" She asked as she moved closer to him. He obviously had been working for some time to get the shirt all the way off on his own without success.

"I forgot which arm to take out first. It's less work on my bad arm if I do it a certain way. But I messed it up and now I'm stuck." He sighed in defeat, very unlike Frank.

"I can see that. Here, let me help you." Nancy stood in front him where he sat and gently tugged the shirt the rest of the way over his head. She slid his arm out of the short sleeve, brushing against his warm skin as she went.

"Thanks." Once freed, his dark eyes immediately found hers, and they were filled with relief and a little embarrassment.

She quirked a smile at him, feeling her body warm from his gaze. "I never thought I'd see the day that Frank Hardy is defeated by something as insignificant as a shirt."

He laughed pathetically. "Well, it put up a good fight."

Nancy looked down, finally letting herself notice how close to him and his naked chest she had become, standing between his legs. She was feeling a little overheated and debated shedding her bathrobe before remembering that all she was wearing underneath was a tank top sans bra and a pair of boy shorts. But, Frank had seen her in much less… she debated internally.

Frank must have been having similar thoughts as their eyes held, because his right arm came up to encircle her waste. She dropped the shirt on the floor and reached her hands up to his head, running her fingers through his messy hair. Being stuck inside a shirt had caused it to stick up comically, and Nancy couldn't resist trying to tame the locks.

But she didn't get much of chance, because after one pass through his hair he buried his head into her stomach with a groan, mumbling something intelligibly.

The bathrobe had parted slightly in his movement and his breath on her bare stomach tickled. "What? I couldn't understand you." She couldn't help the slight breathiness to her voice, though she blamed it on the tickling.

"I miss touching you," Frank repeated, turning his head to the side so she could hear him. Nancy didn't say anything in response, instead running her fingers over his strong shoulders and down his broad back, hoping to convey without words the same thing.

They stayed in that position for a while, neither needing to say anything or try to force it into something more. Both were content to simply hold the other, relishing in the skin on skin touches.

Finally, Nancy couldn't help but notice the movement of the clock's minute hand, which had traveled farther than she thought since she'd been in the room. Gently untangling herself from him, she stepped back, closing the gap in her robe.

"I've got to shower if we're supposed to meet Joe soon."

Frank smirked up at her. "What a coincidence. That's what I was about to do when you interrupted me. I think my arm still hurts and I may need help."

Nancy grinned in spite of herself. "Nice try, Hardy, but I'm sure you can manage. Parents' house, remember?"

"Then I'm going first," he declared as he stood up. This put his bare chest directly in her sightline instead of his eyes. She closed her eyes to keep her resolve from weakening before looking up at his face. What was it with the Hardy boys and arguing over showers?

"Not a chance."

"But I just called it."

"Then I'll just have to beat you to it," she said a she darted out of the room toward the bathroom, then let out a laughing shriek as she heard Frank tearing after her.

Barely making it to the bathroom before him, she slammed the door behind her, breathing hard. "I win!"

He pounded on the door. "You better not use up all the hot water!"

She cracked the door and peered out at him. "I promise."

Just then both of them heard Joe's voice downstairs, and Nancy had a flashback to the night before, instantly sobering her.

Frank noticed the change. "What is it?"

She knew it wasn't her place to spill Joe's secret, even if it was burning on her tongue. "Just… be nice to Joe, okay? He might have something important to say."

Frank looked at her quizzically, obviously understanding there was more she wasn't telling him. "Sure." He must have known it wasn't the time to push her, because he added, "Just hurry up in there so I can have my turn."

She smiled in relief before closing the door and letting the hot water melt away her tension.

* * *

Surprisingly, when Nancy made it downstairs Frank was already seated at the table with Joe and their father. She didn't think she had taken that long getting dressed, but then, boys generally had it easier, she mused as she joined them.

"I'm sorry to have to do this to you three, but I need you guys to cover a couple of my cases while you're home."

"The cheating husband cases?" Joe asked.

"Yes, those. I'm supposed to be staking out a house today, but I may need to the time to look into a few things."

"Things that have to do with Con and the chief?" Nancy supplied.

"I'm going to try to call in a few favors. Hopefully by this afternoon I'll be able to get in to speak to Con about what happened last night. But I'll need the morning to do some prep work."

"And bribing," Joe added, ignoring his dad frowning at him.

"You know we'll do anything to help," Frank reassured.

"I know. You three haven't let me down yet. And I'll try to get you in to see Con with me, if I can," Fenton said as he packed up his briefcase and left the table.

* * *

Three hours, two bags of chips, six sodas, and a plate of cookies later found the Hardy brothers and Nancy camped out in Joe's car down the street from the suspected adulterer's house.

"Can't we leave yet?" Joe whined from the driver's seat for the eleventh time. "We're all out of food."

"No, we're here until Dad calls us. And you're the one who ate most of it, anyway," Frank replied, his eyes never leaving the house. So far he and Nancy had nothing to show for their time spent listening to Joe complain. A couple times they thought they'd seen something suspicious, but nothing specifically related to the man they were targeting.

One time in particular, a blond girl pulled up in a flower delivery van and knocked on the door to the house, but no one answered. At this point, Joe was bored enough to sacrifice their cover and introduce himself to the "hot girl," but Frank was able to convince him otherwise, citing their father's trust in them. She looked around, made a call on her cell phone, then got in her van and left after leaving the vase on the doorstep.

"I suppose I should feel lucky that you two haven't spent the whole time making out in the backseat."

At that statement Frank did remove his steady gaze from the house to roll his eyes at Nancy sitting next to him. They hadn't even so much as touched each other since that morning, even though it had taken all of their combined self-control after the heated exchange in Frank's room. Sort of like the heat shooting between them as she caught and held his gaze.

Nancy jumped at the sound of Frank's cell phone ringing, shutting her eyes and breaking the contact.

"Hey, Dad," he answered. There was a long pause as Fenton spoke, and then Frank said, "We'll be there," and hung up.

Joe started the car. "Where to, big brother?"

"Police station. Dad was able to pull some strings and got us ten minutes with Con. He's still being kept in their holding cell for questioning."

Nancy shot him a worried look as Joe pulled away. Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

"You have ten minutes. No longer. If you want to leave before your ten minutes are up, knock on the door."

"Thank you, Officer Jackson," Fenton said. The young cop nodded curtly before exiting the room. Con sat handcuffed to a chair in front of a table, the only furnishings in the sparse room.

Having four visitors was extremely uncommon and if Fenton didn't know enough people it would have never happened. They were lucky to get those few minutes and knew it, so they all took seats and got down to business.

"Con, what happened? Start from the beginning," Fenton requested.

Surprisingly, the man glared at the brothers. "I thought I told you boys to stay out of it."

"They can take care of themselves," Fenton said quickly before Joe could say something without thinking. He added just a bit of command into his next words. "Tell us what happened and do it quickly since we don't have much time."

"I got a phone message from the chief saying he needed to talk to me. Said it was important, and that I needed to come over right away. The old man sounded, well, not himself, so I did what he asked."

"Was the house broken into when you got there?" Frank asked, remembering how the door had been when he and Joe had arrived.

"No," Con said flatly. "I did that."

"Why?" That wouldn't look good for him, Frank thought, if he left his fingerprints all over the door.

"I was worried about the guy. He didn't come to the door when I knocked, and the house looked empty. So I broke in, hoping he hadn't had a heart attack or stroke."

"What did you find?" This time Nancy asked the question, impatiently wanting to get to the climax of the story.

"I called out to him, and I heard him shout my name. He sounded like he was struggling, so I rushed over to the study where I thought his voice was coming from. I was right. When I got there, well," he hesitated. "You saw him."

"Wait a minute, you heard him call your name but he was dead on the floor when you got there?" Joe asked skeptically.

"He took his last breath right in front of me," Con replied, trying to sound calm even as he described the death of an old friend.

"Why wouldn't you have heard the shot?"

"The gunman used a silencer. I saw him disappear out the window right as I entered the room. And before you ask, no, I didn't get a good look at him. I'm pretty sure it was a man, but that's all I know. And he was wearing a dark trench coat."

They group sat quietly for a few seconds as they debated what questions and answers would be the most helpful.

"Why were you holding the gun, Con?" Joe asked quietly, avoiding the sharp looks he could feel coming from Frank and his father. "I saw you put it down."

Con sighed. "Well, honestly, it wouldn't have made much difference if I touched it then or not, and I had to be sure."

"Had to be sure of what?" Frank asked with a hard voice. He didn't like information being withheld and then sprung on him like that.

He stared in Frank's face with a rueful look. "That the gun was mine."

* * *

**Reviews are appreciated :) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Another longish one. Is that preferred? Or is it too long and you like the shorter installments? Let me know. We add another character in this chapter - bet you can't guess who :)**

**Three juicy strawberries (yum) to the chapter 7 reviewers: Nancy Hardy, Colie88, MCR-1993, Christal, AZWriter, Gotta Dance 88, Anonymous**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own library cards to three different libraries. And I use them all. **

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 8

The three Hardy men and Nancy left the police station feeling drained and less optimistic than when they first went in. Nothing they learned from Con was anything they could use to help clear his name. His gun was used as the murder weapon with his fingerprints all over it, no one else's. He admitted to being the person who broke into the house. He was found at the scene of the crime. Clearly, any District Attorney had enough evidence to convict. It was only a matter of time before the case went to trial and that happened. The only thing missing from making it an open and shut case, besides the fact that he claimed he was innocent, was a lack of motive. Frank had tried to see things from the arresting officer's point of view, but he still couldn't figure out why Con would ever need or want to kill Ezra Collig. He wasn't letting himself even begin to think about why Joe didn't tell him sooner about the gun.

Frank checked back into the present to hear his dad saying, "It's just very difficult to understand how things had gotten so lax around there. I know a lot of my cases lately haven't directly involved the police, but I should have known that things were getting bad."

"You can't blame yourself, Dad. On the outside, the police department doesn't seem to be any different then when we were kids," Frank reassured.

"Yeah, exactly the same, except that now there's a new police chief, the old one was murdered, and Con is in lockup," Joe quipped, ruining any reassurance Frank might have hoped for. He shot his younger brother a look, hoping he would get the message to shut his mouth.

"There must be some kind of security video that could show us who took Con's gun. He knew that it'd been missing for eleven days exactly, so we could start checking then," Nancy thought out loud as they reached the two cars. She was used to ignoring the Hardys' distractions.

"He also said that a missing gun wasn't that unusual anymore and that no one took him seriously when he reported it. For the past few months everything has been in terrible condition around the station. Gun lockers and the guns themselves being switched around between officers. Cases no longer kept confidential. They've had some serious issues. Everyone just assumed that he either lost it or traded it with someone else without realizing it."

Joe snorted in disdain. "Like that would ever happen. Even I know that no self-respecting officer would mistake someone else's gun for his own."

"Well, that's the claim."

"Besides," Fenton cut in, "even if we did find something in a video, the officer could claim the same thing – he didn't realize it was Con's gun, or that he had passed it off to someone else and wasn't sure who. It would be a wild goose chase of the worst kind." He paused as he unlocked his car. "But, it's our only lead right now. We'll have to look into it."

"So what's the plan?" Frank asked, running his hand through his hair.

Fenton thought for a minute before answering. "There's a deli down the street. Let's grab some lunch and you can tell me about how things went this morning."

As he enjoyed his turkey and swiss on wheat some time later, Frank filled in his father on what happened on their stakeout.

"So basically," he concluded, "nothing."

"Think about it again," Fenton suggested after he swallowed. "We have another avenue to explore now."

"The flowers," Nancy said knowingly, her eyes lighting up.

Fenton pointed at her with his fork. "Exactly. It's too bad you didn't get a chance to talk to the girl, see if you could read the card."

"Didn't I tell you I should go introduce myself?" Joe asked, incredulous.

"You had a slightly different motive, Joe," Frank answered, his tone dry as dust.

"Well, here's your chance, my boy. Go to the florist and talk to that girl. Find out if there have been any patterns to that house or person, who sent them, etc."

Joe stood up and pulled out his keys. "I'll get on it right away. So are you giving these two a ride home then?"

"Or Nancy and I can just go back to the station and see about the security video," Frank suggested.

Fenton caught Joe's eyes and gave him a look that Joe wasn't sure how to interpret. "No, Frank, why don't you come with me. Nancy can go with Joe to the florist."

"But why would – "

"It's about time you boys start sharing our Miss Drew, don't you think Joe?" Fenton asked. Joe finally identified that look – it was mischief. Even though he wasn't sure he wanted to be stuck between Nancy and Frank, putting some pressure on them would be kind of fun…

"Alright, let's hit the road, Drew."

"But – " Frank wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Since when did his dad care who did which job, as long as everything got done?

"Problem, son?" Fenton asked innocently. "Do you want to trade with Joe? Maybe you'd rather go meet the florist girl."

Frank cleared his throat. "No, of course not. This is fine. You and me, Dad. Nancy and… Joe."

Joe jangled his keys to get their attention. "Now if you're done being a girl, Frank, Drew and I have something to do."

Nancy smacked Joe's arm. "I resent that. I'm a girl, remember?"

"Only sometimes, Drew."

She smacked him again as they exited the deli, Fenton chuckling as he watched.

"They make a funny team," he remarked.

"If by funny you mean highly dysfunctional and argumentative," Frank huffed.

"Now, I wouldn't say that. They get results in their own ways."

"That's definitely true. Anyway, what's our plan?"

"I'd like to go speak with the new police chief. He'll need to understand who we are and what we do if we're to get any sort of cooperation."

"Makes sense," Frank agreed. "We'll need that rapport before they'll ever agree to let us see footage."

"I'm not so sure they will anyway, but I'll see what I can do. It's worth a shot."

* * *

"What is the name of this place again?"

"The Flower Patch. Take a right here."

"Um, who's town is this again?" Joe pretended to think hard for a moment. "Oh yeah, mine. I think I know where I'm going."

"You just passed the shop," Nancy responded calmly. "It was on that side street."

"No, it wasn't. I've lived here my whole life, and nothing is down that street but some old houses and a dentist."

Nancy read off the address to him one more time.

"Shoot. We passed it."

"That's what I said!" She said, her zen calm gone.

"All I hear coming from over there is some white noise." Joe held up his right hand and waved it around in her direction. "What's that? I can't hear you."

"Grow up and let's park," Nancy said, rolling her eyes and trying to ignore the obnoxious boy next to her. One would think he was still a teenager, if not a child.

Walking the block to the store, she noticed the same white delivery van they saw on the stakeout parked by the curb in front. "At least this means she's probably here, instead of out delivering," Nancy pointed out. She reached for the doorknob, but Joe stopped her hand from turning it.

"Just leave this to me. If there's one thing I know, it's how to get information out of women Don't start jumping all over her, or whatever you do when you interrogate people."

"Sure, Joe. Whatever you say. I'll just pretend to browse or something."

"Excellent," he said as he held the door open for her. Despite her opinions of him, Laura had insured that her youngest son wasn't a complete Neanderthal. She refrained herself from pointing out that she could hold open her own door and decided to be grateful for the gesture.

"Good afternoon!" a tall, blond girl greeted them upon entering. She appeared to be the same girl from that morning. "Can I help you find anything?"

"I'm just browsing, thanks," Nancy said, directing a wink in Joe's direction. "I think Joe here might have something he wants to ask you, though."

"Oh?" She asked. "Looking for something special for your girlfriend?" She gestured towards Nancy.

Joe raised an eyebrow, then burst out laughing. "Wow, that's a good joke. Nancy, my girlfriend? Not in her dreams."

The blond girl folded her arms across her chest, clearly not as amused as Joe. "Someone else then? Do you actually need my help with something? I don't appreciate my time being wasted."

Sobering up immediately, Joe came closer to her and answered, "I apologize miss, I had no intention of wasting your time. Nancy, over there, is my brother's girlfriend, actually. Well, sort of. It's a long story. Anyway, I just came to learn a little about how your business works," he improvised.

"What do you want to know?" she asked suspiciously.

"I noticed your van out delivering this morning. Do you have regular clients? Do you keep track of things like that? Or is it just on an order by order basis? For instance, this morning, is delivering to that house a common occurrence?"

"I don't think I can answer those questions."

Joe leaned in on the counter, kept her eye contact, and grinned. He knew she was a goner the second he moved closer. "I'm just trying to learn more about what you do here. Pretty girl like you must have a good understanding of the business."

The girl stood up to her full height, which to Joe's surprise, was only a few inches shorter than his own. She smiled, but it wasn't the normal girl-falling-in-love-with-him smile that he was used to seeing in situations like that. This one looked… sardonic, if that was possible.

"Wow. Does that work on all the girls?"

Joe blinked. "What?"

"Lines like that, they must work on some girls or you'd stop using them. Unless, of course, you're a glutton for punishment."

Joe ignored the quiet snort that came from another part of the small shop and desperately tried to think of something to say to rectify the situation.

She didn't give him the chance. "Nancy? Is that your name? What do you two really want?"

Nancy stepped forward next to Joe. "We're investigating some cases and were hoping to find out about the client you delivered for this morning."

"I can't give out that information."

"I understand," Nancy said smoothly. "But if you think of something, if anything strange has been happening with that house or that client, please call me. We're working on something very important and anything you might remember would help." She handed the girl a small card. "Here's my number."

"I'm not promising anything, but I'm much more likely to answer your questions than Casanova over there."

Nancy broke her interrogation persona and laughed heartily at the girl calling Joe out. "Yeah, he thinks he's suave." All Joe did in response was make a huffing noise, cross his arms, and move away from the counter. Nancy had to stop herself from laughing again at his show of sulking.

The girl pushed her long blond hair behind her ears and pursed her lips for a second. "That house does get regular deliveries. Not like, every day or every week, but it's pretty frequent."

Nancy's eyes widened. She didn't expect the girl to give them anything else. "Who sends them?"

A hand came up and the girl's gray/blue eyes closed. "Nope. Stop right there. I can't tell you anything else."

"Alright, I get it. But like I said, call me if you think anything."

"Sure."

Nancy turned to go, but paused at the door when she noticed that Joe wasn't following her. She turned to see him leaning in close to the girl again. Only this time, the girl was staring back.

Quietly, he said, "Don't worry, we'll see each other again soon."

She paused before answering, seeming to mentally shake herself. "I wouldn't count on it."

Joe only smirked and turned to follow Nancy out the door.

"Hey, Casanova, don't you even want to know my name?"

He smile grew as he looked at her. "Sure, sweetheart. But what name could possibly compete with that pretty face?"

She scowled back at him. "It's Vanessa. Now get out of my mom's store."

* * *

**Small clarification - for my purposes, Vanessa didn't go to high school with the Hardys. More on that in a different chapter. **

**Love those reviews... please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**I missed last week *hides behind a bunny* and I'm sorry. But this chapter is almost twice as long as my norm to make up for it. Plus there's a little something special towards the end...  
**

**A gallon of Tillamook ice cream to the reviewers of chapter 8: MCR-1993, Colie88, Prismatic Iris, KennaC, Gotta Dance 88 - I love you all, faithful reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own I roll of painter's tape and a scraper. **

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 9

"What can I do for you two men?"

Fenton and Frank were sitting in the office of the new Bayport Police Chief, Gabriel Clarke. Frank knew he must be distinguished and decorated to be appointed as the head of the department, but he couldn't help but notice how young the man seemed. Early 30s, at the oldest. They had been waiting for over an hour to see him, so both he and his father were anxious to start asking questions.

"My name is Fenton Hardy, and this is my son, Frank."

Chief Clarke smiled at them, his perfect white teeth gleaming. "Yes, I've heard all about you and your boys. Bagged more criminals than the entire force, some would say."

"I don't know if I would say that," Frank interjected, "but we do have experience getting to the bottom of things." He was used to the attention that he and his family garnered over the years, but being used to it didn't make him feel any less uncomfortable with the attention. Joe, however, tended to lap it all up. His father seemed to just take everything in stride, as always.

Chief Clarke looked at him appraisingly. "So it would seem. What brings you to my office?"

Fenton leaned forward and looked Clarke in the face. "Well, to be honest, I'm a little concerned about the investigation involving Con Riley."

"Such an unfortunate thing. It still shocks me to think that we've had such a traitor on our force for so many years."

"Do you really believe that?" Frank asked, ignoring the nudge Fenton gave his foot.

"The evidence is all there. Fine detectives such as yourselves know that evidence doesn't lie."

Frank had an idea what Joe would say to that. Something along the lines of that evidence doesn't lie, but people certainly do, especially the ones that plant evidence. But unlike Joe, he kept his mouth shut.

Fenton remained cool. "We just want to make sure that this is being treated with the attention it deserves. I know, being a retired officer myself, that things can get busy around the station. The last thing a chief wants is someone poking his nose into a case that's already shut."

"Yes, I see you understand. Now, as you said, I'm very busy – "

"As much as I don't want to be that guy poking around, I think it's necessary this time around. I've known Con for many years, and I believe that there is more to this case."

Frank noticed Chief Clarke frown at being interrupted. It must not happen often. "You said it yourself – this case is shut. What more do you want from this bureau?"

"We're not asking that you help Con. We're not even asking that you do anything different. We just want a chance to look at the security footage from when Con's gun was stolen."

"_Misplaced_," the chief emphasized. "Just one more of Collig's messes that I have to sort out now that he's gone. Gun safety around here was a joke. Only a few of us more dedicated officers ever took the regulations seriously."

Frank knew that his father was struggling to keep his frustration in check. Fenton didn't let anger get the better of him often, but he was fiercely loyal to his friends and family.

"Then if it's all the same to you, I'd like to see that footage. I'm sure it will only confirm your beliefs, in which case you have nothing to worry about." Fenton paused and leaned forward, maintaining steady eye contact with the chief. "Unless, there's something on there that you wouldn't want anyone to see."

Chief Clarke leaned back and crossed his arms. "Are you threatening me or one of mine?"

Frank admired his father – he wasn't backing down. "Certainly not. Just pointing out that you have nothing to hide if everything is as you say it is."

"Of course. It will take a day to get the footage into a viewable format."

_That's bull_, thought Frank. It should just be on playback, and his father would know that. If anything, they would be giving him time to erase anything important if they agreed. He opened his mouth to respond but Fenton beat him to it.

"Fine. We'll be back tomorrow at this time. And of course we'll be checking for timestamps and any tampering."

The chief's mouth narrowed into a hard line. "Agreed. Now, I must ask you to go."

Both Hardy men stood, and Fenton held out his hand and smiled. "We appreciate your cooperation. We're all on the same side, after all."

The man didn't smile back, didn't acknowledge Fenton's hand. "Please leave." He nodded to his door to further his point, then went back to the papers on his desk as if no one else was in the room.

As they stepped through the door, a man a little older than Frank brushed past them.

"I thought I told you to le…" the chief trailed off as he looked up, finding that it wasn't either of the Hardys who continued to interrupt him. He came out from behind his desk and shut the door in Frank's face, glaring fiercely at him.

"Let's go, son."

"Hang on a sec," Frank said, leaning casually against the door. He could barely make out some of the words being said, mostly by the chief's louder, angrier voice.

"I thought I told you never to come here! Are you stupid?"

"… weren't answering phone… problem… delivery…"

"I don't care. I won't clean up your messes. Now get out of here!"

Frank quickly stepped away from the door. He didn't think it would be good for him if the new chief caught him eavesdropping.

Just as he and Fenton made it down the hall, the man fled the room, not pausing for people to get out of his way. He barely managed to make it out of the building without knocking anyone over. The wool cap he wore hid the color of his hair, and Frank never got a good look at his face. His clothes were simple – a gray hoody and jeans.

"What an odd man," Fenton mused.

"No kidding," Frank responded. He wondered if there was more to the story than him just being 'odd.'

Before he had a chance to say as much to his father he felt his left arm burst into flames of pain. It took him a moment to realize that the reason why was someone's hand grabbing his bicep, pulling him into a side hallway.

"What did you do that for?" Frank exclaimed, trying to catch his breath. He turned to his assailant and found a familiar officer with wide, surprised eyes.

"Wha…? I'm… sorry? Are you okay?" he stuttered.

Frank bit his lip in an effort to keep any expletives from slipping out. The pain was down from burning flames to smoldering coals, but it still _hurt_. He looked down at his arm and saw a faint red mark on the rolled up long sleeve right where his wound was.

"Damn. I really hope that's not going to have to be re-stitched." _So much for keeping in expletives_, he thought. He glanced up to see that the guy looked even more frightened, if possible.

Frank sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled. I know you weren't trying to hurt me. But you've got to think before grabbing people like that. Especially someone who's got a recovering bullet wound in the arm you grab."

Taking a closer look at the officer, Frank noticed that the guy was younger than him. It was startling, the realization that people his age and younger were put in uniforms and handed guns. Sure, he'd been handling crime since he was a teenager, but his family was far from the norm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything, honest," the officer finally said. "Frank, right?"

"Yeah. What can I do for you, Officer Jackson?"

"I noticed that you tried talking to the chief."

"If you can call it that, but yes."

"Well, I wouldn't recommend trying that again." The boy's voice – _and he really is no more than a boy, by all accounts, _Frank thought – had taken on a hard edge.

"Oh?" Frank asked, eyebrow raised.

"You don't want to get involved. Trust me, you really don't." Now he almost sounded pleading, which Frank found strange.

"It's a little too late for that. People are dead and others are being falsely accused. If your bureau won't do anything about it, someone has to." Frank turned to go. He was tired of listening.

"You'll regret it."

Frank looked back at him one last time, but didn't say anything. That sounded like a threat if he'd ever heard one. He mentally added Officer Jackson to his list of suspicious people.

* * *

When Frank and Fenton arrived home later that afternoon, Joe and Nancy were already there. They were sitting at the kitchen table while Laura put chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack. They seemed to be in the middle of an animated conversation.

"And then she said her name and threw him out of the store!" Nancy was laughing so hard she had a hard time getting the words out.

"What's so funny?" Frank asked, helping himself to a cookie.

"Nothing. Definitely nothing," Joe answered before Nancy could.

Laura wiped her hands on a dish towel. "It sounds like our Joe has finally met his match. That girl they visited was immune to his charm."

"Not immune. Just a little tougher to crack, that's all. She'll go the way of Humpty Dumpty in no time, just wait."

"A little advice, son? Never compare women to an oversized chicken egg. It's no wonder she didn't like you," Fenton laughed.

Nancy wasn't laughing. She was too distracted by the blood stain on Frank's shirt to find anything funny anymore. Needing to know if he was okay but knowing that she shouldn't worry his mother, she devised a plan to find out the truth.

"I'll grab the milk and some cups to go with these delicious cookies," she offered. "Frank, can you help me?"

Frank caught her gaze and stood up, a question in his eye. "Sure."

Slowly pulling glasses out of the cupboard she said quietly, "What happened to your arm?"

He glanced down. Now that the pain had subsided to the dull ache it was normally, he had forgotten about the incident in the police station hallway. "Someone grabbed my arm not knowing. I'm okay, I promise."

"Have you even looked at it?"

"Um, no."

Nancy grabbed his right hand and pulled, announcing loudly. "Frank needs some painkillers. We'll be right back."

"But, there are some above the sink," Laura tried to call after them, but they were already up the stairs.

Joe and Fenton exchanged knowing looks and left it at that.

"Let me roll up your sleeve," Nancy said once they were in the upstairs bathroom.

"It won't go that far," Frank argued, leaning against the sink vanity.

"Then take off your shirt."

"It you wanted me to strip, all you had to do was say so," Frank said with a smirk, undoing the buttons with his right hand.

"Enough, _Joe_," Nancy said, though she was smiling. "This is serious. You're hurt."

She helped pull the fabric off of his shoulders, baring his arms. He was wearing a wife-beater undershirt. Mustering all of her willpower, she ignored how tempting he looked and focused on the dried blood on his arm, dabbing at it with a wet washcloth.

"It doesn't look like you'll have to see a doctor, since the stitches are still holding. A couple of them just tore a little bit. It's already stopped bleeding and seems to be okay."

"See?" Frank said. "Exactly as I said – I'm fine."

"I just had to be sure," Nancy replied quietly, not looking at his face.

Frank frowned. He hadn't realized that she was so worried. Raising his right hand, he cupped her cheek, caressing her lip with his thumb. He almost groaned at the sensation of her warm skin being in contact with his own. Gently he tilted her face up to look at him.

"I'm sorry you were worried, but I really am fine. Getting better everyday." He flashed a lopsided smile.

Nancy bit her lip. "I know you can take care of yourself. I'll try to stop fussing."

"Hey, I'm not complaining yet. You managed to get us some alone time."

"Speaking of that, it shouldn't be taking us this long to get painkillers. We should get back down there." But Nancy didn't move away.

"Not yet," he whispered, lowering his head, closing his eyes.

"Frank…" she barely made out, before being cut off by his mouth.

This was not a gentle kiss between lovers. Almost immediately he turned them around so she was the one pressed against the bathroom sink. He took advantage of her surprise and pushed his tongue into her open mouth, exploring, probing, barely giving her a chance to respond. He pressed his hips against hers, hoping to relieve some tension, instead finding that it only made it worse.

Nancy moaned and brought her hands up to his chest, hardly able to do anything other than react. She had had dreams about his lips, and now they were finally on her again, pulling and teasing at her own. His excitement furthered hers, until she was worried they would both burn up from the tension.

As abruptly as it started, it ended. Frank tore himself away from her, backing against the door opposite the sink.

"I am so tired of cold showers," he declared between gasps.

Nancy wasn't sure she could speak at all. "What?"

"I'm tired of having to take cold showers. Having you so close but being unable to touch you is the worst kind of torture." Every part of him, and some parts in particular, ached to move back to her, but he forced himself to stay where he was. "I want you, Nancy. I've never wanted anyone or anything more."

Eyes locked onto his face, she tried to slow her thudding heart. It wasn't every day a guy made a declaration like that. She started to move closer to him, but he held put out a hand.

"No, don't. I don't think I could stop myself if you touch me again right now. I know how you feel about this being my parents' house, and you're right."

"I wish I wasn't," she whispered.

He chuckled. "Yeah, me too." Picking up his shirt, he continued, "I'm going to take you on a date, Nancy Drew."

"What?"

"Tomorrow night. We're going out."

Nancy couldn't stop the smile from blooming across her face. "Really?"

Allowing himself one final touch, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, lingering for only a moment. "Definitely."

* * *

**Love those reviews... :) You know what to do!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Loooong Author's note at the end. You're going to want to read it. Probably. I mean, I would.**

**A warm fudge brownie to the reviewers of Chapter 9: MCR-1993, Nancy Hardy, KennaC, Colie88, AZWriter, Confidential Brunette, Elena, Gotta Dance 88 **

**A note to Elena: I'm glad you think Frank is sexy. I'd be lying if I denied that I pretty much write Frank to be my perfect man... :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a microwave and mini fridge to put in my new office at school. **

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 10

"Are you guys sure that you're okay to handle going back to the bureau on your own? The Hardy name doesn't inspire a lot of warmth around there these days."

Joe rolled his eyes at his father. "We're not exactly public enemy number one, either. I'm sure we can handle it."

"I don't know, Joe," Frank interjected. "That new chief is a hard-nose. You can't go in there trying to charm him like everyone else. It won't work."

"There is more to this bod than charm, you know."

"Tell that to Miss Get-Out-Of-My-Store from yesterday," Nancy supplied, catching Frank's eye and laughing.

Joe threw his hands up in exasperation and stalked out of the house, not dignifying that comment with a response.

Fenton shook his head, then turned to Frank. "I'm sorry I can't join you, but I have to spend some face time on these cases. Otherwise they'll stop paying me, which would be a problem."

Frank smiled. "Sure thing, Dad. We get it."

"Don't let Chief Clarke run all over you. But more importantly, don't let him engage you in an argument. Be polite and grateful, even if you feel stupid doing it."

"I know. I was there, remember? Shouldn't you be giving Joe this speech?" Frank asked, nodding.

Fenton laughed, a short, clipped sound. "Do you think he'd actually listen? Do your best to reign him in."

Wryly, Frank said, "Don't I always?"

Nancy unexpectedly felt protective of Joe, hearing his father and brother talk about him. She couldn't help but flash back to the conversation she'd overheard between him and Laura. She knew that Fenton and Frank didn't mean to come off the way they did, but they sometimes had a tendency to treat Joe like the sidekick, whether he deserved it or not. If she was being honest, she knew that Joe had his faults, impulsiveness and ego being among them. But she also knew that he was as intelligent as Frank. He just expressed it differently.

And if she was being really honest, she knew that Frank had his own faults, too. His need for caution and analyzing everything drove her crazy sometimes. She could definitely identify with Joe's desire for action.

Pressing her mouth into a hard line, she refrained from sharing any of her thoughts with Frank as she followed him out to the car. Maybe if she had a chance later she'd bring it up, but she didn't want to the rock the boat right before an investigation.

"Hey, are you alright?" Frank asked, stopping her a couple feet from the car.

Mentally shaking herself, Nancy looked up with a smile. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"You have that little line on your forehead you get when you're thinking hard about something."

She felt him reach out and smooth the skin above her eyes. Her lids lowered briefly at the contact before remembering that she was annoyed with him. But she didn't want him to know that.

"It's nothing. Just the case." _The case of the Hardy brothers_, she added silently.

Frank, ever the gentleman, opened the passenger door and pushed the seat forward for her so she could climb into the backseat of Joe's two-door car. It was an older model Ford Probe, cherry red with leather interior.

"Now this is much more my style," she announced. "Even if I have to be crammed in the backseat. Not exactly practical, Joe."

"Whoever said I needed practical?" Joe quipped. "Besides, I never intended to chauffeur around anyone other than beautiful girls, and that only requires two seats. But I'm glad you approve."

Arriving at the police station, Frank reminded all of them to keep calm. It only took a few minutes before they were led to a small room with security monitors mounted on the walls. A tubby, balding man in uniform introduced himself as Officer Hansen and invited them to sit down as he pulled up the footage.

Just as he was about to play it, a small beeping noise came from the pager on his hip.

"Shoot," he said looking down. "Here, I'll press play, and then you guys can just watch. I'll be right back." Giving them all one final look before going out the door, he said, "Don't mess with anything. I'll know."

"He seems delightful," Nancy remarked.

"That pretty much sums up my experience with the department lately," Frank agreed.

On one of the screens in front of them, they watched footage of an empty room that looked something like a modified locker room. A few seconds into it, they saw a man enter the room. As he turned to where the camera faced, they were easily able to identify the man as Con Riley.

The three detectives watched in silence as he put his gun in his locker and looked through some papers. Grabbing a towel, he quickly exited through a side door.

Several more minutes went by of watching an empty room before Joe finally spoke up.

"Can we fast forward this thing?" he said impatiently.

"Joe, he said not to touch anything," Frank answered reasonably. "We don't want to get them upset and stop cooperating."

"They're already not cooperating," Nancy countered. "At this rate, we could be here all day. Besides, when have we ever listened when told not to touch things?"

Without waiting for Frank's response or approval, Nancy leaned forward and began fast-forwarding the footage. They continued to watch as nothing happened, Frank sitting with his arms crossed in censure.

"Wait, stop. Back up a little," Joe said, pointing at the screen.

Nancy complied, stopping when she saw what Joe had seen – Officer Jackson entering the room. She hit play and they watched the young man walk nervously into the room, looking around and behind him. He meandered down the small hallway between lockers, periodically stopping and drumming his fingers. He never stopped casting glances behind him.

Finally, they saw him reach the locker that Con had used. After entering in a code, they watched him pull something out of the small compartment. Unfortunately, his back was to the camera, concealing what exactly he was taking. After shutting the door, they saw him begin to wander the room again, stopping in front of another locker. This one he opened much more swiftly and stuffed the object into it. He turned just before closing the door, and they were able to make out the glint of a metal gun resting on a shelf.

Rubbing his hands through his hair, he turned and seemed to hear someone. Hastily, almost comically, he tried to hide by rushing to get behind another door. Realizing that it wasn't a good hiding place, he turned to face a couple of men who entered the room. Laughing about some shared joke, the other men barely noticed Jackson, who eventually slipped by them and out the door.

Nancy paused the video, digesting what they had just seen.

"I knew there was something weird about him," Frank said.

"I guess so," Nancy agreed. "I doubt he's working alone, though. We'll have to figure out who his partner is."

"And, we should probably take this to the chief. He'll need to know who the traitor is on his force.

"Guys, wait a second," Joe interjected. Both Nancy and Frank turned to look at him, having temporarily forgotten that he was around.

"Did you notice how he acted?"

"Yeah, he took Con's gun and tried to pretend he didn't," Frank said, a little annoyed.

"No, not what he did. How he _behaved_," Joe emphasized.

"He was nervous," Nancy said thoughtfully.

"Exactly."

"So? He was committing a crime. Of course he'd be nervous." Frank was skeptical.

"Not like that," Nancy responded. Turning to Joe, she said, "I get what you're saying. It wasn't exactly normal nervousness – "

Before Nancy had a chance to finish her thought, the door opened and the burly officer stepped back in.

"Sorry about that. Just something I had to take care of. Important police work, you know."

"Of course," Frank said amiably.

"Now, what did you kids need?" he asked, sitting down heavily in the empty desk chair.

Nancy responded, "Oh, I think we learned everything we hoped to today. Thank you for your time."

"Well, okay. Come on back if you need anything more."

The trio stood up to leave. As they were exiting the room, Frank felt the man tap his shoulder.

"Con was a good man and a good buddy," he said. "I'll do whatever you need to help him."

Frank smiled. "We just may take you up on that."

"I'll be ready."

* * *

Nancy and the Hardys were quiet as Joe drove them through the city back to their neighborhood. Each was mulling over the clues they had so far, hoping to piece together the mystery.

"Hey, I'm going to make a stop," Joe announced as he turned onto a side street. "Be right back." Jumping out of the car, he headed in the direction of Bayport Flower Service.

"Now will you tell me what's bothering you?"

Nancy turned to look at Frank, surprised. She hadn't realized that he'd still been so curious the whole time they were at the station.

"You and your dad are a lot alike, huh?" She asked him instead of answering his question.

"That's what Mom says," Frank said, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you ever think Joe feels left out?"

Now both of Frank's eyebrows shot up. "What? We just spend weeks together in Europe. Why would he feel left out?"

"Yeah, I guess," Nancy said, trying to backpedal. It really wasn't any of her business, though it was a rare day when that stopped her from anything. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Frank watched Nancy carefully, but decided not to push it. He couldn't imagine what Joe would feel left out from. He was always _there._ They were the Hardy brothers, after all. A pair. A team. So why did Nancy's questions make him feel uncomfortable?

* * *

Joe walked through the door of the little shop and was pleased to find it empty of other customers.

"Welcome to Bayport Flower Service!" A cheery voice rang out. "What can I help you… with…"

He watched Vanessa enter from the back room as her voice trailed off, seeing it was him.

"Well that's no way to treat a costumer," he said, smirking.

"Are you actually planning to purchase something, sir?" She asked through a tight smile.

"Of course. What do you take me for? Don't answer that," he added quickly, seeing her frown. "I'd like to pick up a bouquet for my mother."

"Let me show you our selection," Vanessa suggested calmly, coming out from behind the counter. "Here we have some nice daisies. And of course we have the traditional roses or carnations. What would you like?"

"You," Joe blurted, surprising even himself.

Vanessa gaped at him, giving him a suspicious look but not saying anything.

"I mean," he said, trying to recover, "whatever you would recommend. I'm really no good at choosing things like this. Your expert opinion on beautiful things would be appreciated."

Eyeing him thoughtfully but warily, she pulled a small group of daffodils. "Here. These will be perfect."

Joe smiled at her, taking the cluster from her hand. It wasn't his fault that his fingers accidentally brushed hers during the transfer. But the fact that she pulled her hand back quickly and absently rubbed it with her other fingers didn't escape his notice.

After paying, Joe leaned forward slightly across the counter. "Meet me for dinner tonight. Anywhere you want to go."

"No."

Affronted, Joe stood up straighter. "Why not?"

"I have plans."

"Change them."

"I don't think so."

"Come on, go out with me. I'm a nice guy."

"No. If you were actually a nice guy, you wouldn't expect a girl to drop everything at your whim. Next time you get a chance, look up the definition of a date. After you've educated yourself, maybe we'll talk."

"So, you want to talk?" Joe asked hopefully.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the door. "Get out of my store."

"You said that last time."

"You should have listened."

Just before ducking through the entry, Joe turned around and grinned. "You let me stay longer this time. Next time we'll double it."

* * *

**Okay, Looooong Author's Note ahead, but I swear it's important:**

**1. For some reason the website decided to get rid of all the page breaks I had in Disappearing Frost. It's driving me crazy. Eventually I'm going to edit each chapter and put them back in. I don't know if this means that alerts are going to go out for the chapters again, but if it does, I'm sorry. I have to fix it, though.**

**2. I know the chapters are coming much slower. There's a reason for this: I'm now a full time orchestra/general music teacher. I'm going a little crazy getting ready as a first time teacher and writing has taken somewhat of a back seat for these few prep weeks. I appreciate your support and patience, and promise that this story will be finished in a timely manner, because:**

**3. I'm going to be holding a contest! Sort of. Basically, I want to say thank you to all of the people who review. It's such a huge lift to my spirits, writing and otherwise. I can't begin to tell you how big I smile when I get the notice saying I have a review. It never gets old. So, I want to give back. I've been collecting the original Supermystery books, and I've acquired a couple of doubles. Sooo... Once this story is complete (probably in a another 5-10 chapters) I'm going to give them away to a couple of lucky reviewers. Here's how this is going to work:**

**- Review through a fanfiction registered account with PM capabilities.**

**- Each review counts as one entry, so if you review for more than one chapter, you get an entry for each review.  
**

**- That being said, it has to be genuine. You can't just hit the review button a bunch of times and write nonsense. Those will not count as entries. This is not about boosting my review count. This is about acknowledging the wonderful people who take the time and feel so inclined to do so.**

**- It doesn't even have to be a positive review, as long as it's constructive. **

**- Once the story is finished, I'll assign each eligible review a number and then select a couple random numbers. I'll PM you saying that you've been selected, and if you want to receive a book (you certainly don't have to, completely up to you) you can give me your mailing address.**

**- I will ship anywhere in the world that can be shipped to.**

**Any questions? Send me a message!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm only a day late this time, and I have a very good reason! Last night I was at a Dave Matthews concert! Such a good show - I highly recommend them live. **

**King sized candy bars to the reviewers of Chapter 10: MCR-1993, Connie, Lydia, Trust Deceit, franknjoe, iluv2bcrazee, Brisingr364, AZWriter, Colie88, KennaC**

**Extra thanks to KennaC for acting as a consultant - I so value her opinions!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own two huge binders from teacher training: TELL (teaching english language learners) and MASS (managing aggressive students successfully). **

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 11

Frank couldn't help but notice that when Joe strolled back over to the car that his face was almost glowing. He hadn't seen him look like that since before…

Joe opened the driver side door, whistling a random tune, interrupting Frank's thoughts. A yellow bunch of flowers was pushed into his face. Taking them, he eyed his younger brother.

"What's gotten into you?" Frank asked, suspicious.

"Nothing."

"Does this have anything to do with that girl?"

"Maybe."

"I thought she was immune to your charms," Nancy added, wondering why Joe was being so cryptic. Unfortunately for them, he was rarely so tightlipped about his conquests.

"Let's just say that there's sun on the horizon," Joe said, a smile bending his lips.

The local rock station playing softly over the car's sound system had been mostly ignored since they got in the car at the station, but the sudden absence of sound made Frank take notice. A loud beep filled the silence, signaling an unscheduled announcement. Then the DJ's voice came on the radio.

"_We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast for a special speech by our city's finest – Police Chief Clarke_."

The young chief's smooth, charming voice filled the car when he spoke.

"Good afternoon, citizens of Bayport. I know there has been a lot of controversy over the unfortunate death of Mr. Ezra Collig. I want to assure the public that the police department is doing everything in its power to bring his murderer to justice. I understand that there are some grassroots efforts going on by those who feel like there isn't enough happening on our part. These efforts are not only unnecessary, but are hindering the progress everyone hopes to see. Let me reiterate – we will see justice served for this heinous crime. The people of Bayport have nothing to fear – we have whom we believe to be the culprit in custody and will see him locked up permanently. Any questions and concerns can be directed to the Mayor's office. Thank you."

"_Well, how about that - a message from one of our very own city leaders. You heard what he said – they got the guy. Guess we can all sleep a little easier at night. Coming up next, a hit from the 80s…"_

Frank sat there, hand curled into a fist. He couldn't believe that Chief Clarke would have the audacity to make a city-wide announcement to chastise them. But then again, given how he'd felt around the chief so far, he could. Part of him hoped that his father hadn't heard the announcement. He knew it would probably bounce right off of him, but it was still frustrating and he didn't want his father to have to deal with it.

"Well, we know we've gotten to him," Nancy stated, breaking the silence.

Joe scoffed, "Yeah, I guess. I mean, he must have felt threatened enough to make that announcement. I'm not sure what he was trying to gain, though. He'd have to know that it would only make us work harder."

"He's trying to cut off our sources," Frank supplied. "Anyone in the community who might have helped us is going to think twice about it now."

Nancy sighed. "There's not a whole lot we can do about it. Any further pushing we do now will only confirm what he said."

"Let's see if Dad's at home and see what he says," Joe suggested.

"Can we stop by our apartment complex first?" Frank asked. "I need to grab some things."

"Sure," Joe said, maneuvering his car towards their neighborhood. "And about that – you seem to be getting better. Are you ever going to move back out of Mom and Dad's house?"

Frank glanced back at Nancy, just briefly catching her eye before facing front again. It wasn't long enough to discern what she was thinking. On the one hand, it would be nice to feel like he'd progressed from his teenage years. On the other hand, it would mean either not being so close to Nancy or telling his parents that she was moving with him. No matter how forward-thinking his parents were, it wasn't going to be a fun conversation. But on the other hand, he and Nancy hadn't really had a chance to talk about it again, and he didn't want to speak for her.

"Yeah, of course. Eventually," he hedged. "Probably once all of this is done and blows over."

"What, don't want to be away from Drew for more than an hour?"

Frank colored but didn't say anything.

"Oh, I get it," Joe said knowingly. "Don't want to tell the parents you're, ahem, doing Drew."

"Joe!" Frank exclaimed.

All Nancy could do was laugh silently behind her hand. Joe clearly had it right, but only he could say it in such a way. She noticed that Frank couldn't think of anything to counter it, instead turning a lovely shade of pink. It was funny that he, the guy, was the embarrassed one, though she rarely found the use in feeling that way. Joe sat smugly in the driver's seat until they pulled into a small complex.

A few minutes later, Nancy was standing in Frank's bedroom. The room seemed mostly bare, with few decorations to personalize the space. There were some pictures of his family and friends. She tried not to look too hard at the ones of friends, not wanting to know right then if Callie was in any of them. But even with its lack of adornment, the room still felt warm and inviting. It smelled just like Frank.

There were many things she could be thinking about, being in her boyfriend's private space. Several of them inappropriate. But all she could think to say was, "Cinderblocks? Really?"

Frank was rummaging through his closet while Joe lounged on the couch in the living room. "I needed storage space under the bed," came the muffled reply.

Nancy laughed quietly to herself. "I didn't even think that worked for queen beds."

Emerging, Frank answered, "You just need an extra one for under the center post."

She just shook her head in response. Noticing the small bag he carried, she wondered if it held the key to their mysterious date that night. Every time she thought about going out with him, her stomach twisted in knots. It felt like she had one chance to get their relationship right. After all, if she couldn't make it work with perfect, understanding Frank, who could she make it work with?

"So, where are we going tonight?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Frank looked at her knowingly. "Nice try. You'll find out soon enough."

"Don't forget I'm still out here," Joe called. "That door stays open when you have a girl in the room."

Frank rolled his eyes but smiled, moving into the living room. "Thanks, _Mom_. Let's get going."

* * *

After one last car ride, the trio made their way into the Hardy kitchen, hoping to find some food as they figured out what to do next.

"So where were we?" Joe asked through a mouthful of chips.

"You had just finished breaking the rules and ignoring Dad's counsel when you were about to have a breakthrough," Frank answered dryly.

"Oh, right. As I was saying, did you notice how he was acting?"

"Nervous," Nancy repeated. "Hardened criminals don't act like that. I mean, we just had a facedown with Marek and Marsh. Even Gabrielle never seemed upset with what she was doing."

"You're right," Frank agreed. "He seemed like he knew what he was doing was wrong. It was almost like…"

"Like he was the one with the gun to his head." Nancy finished.

"You got it," Joe munched.

Frank added, "I just can't see him shooting Chief Collig. It just doesn't compute."

"I know it seems that way," Nancy said sadly, "but I've seen things that you'd never believe could happen."

"I don't doubt that, Nan, but the guy that I met was not guilty of murder. I know it in my bones."

"We don't know that he's the one who ended up using the gun. We never even saw who ended up retrieving it from the locker," Joe said, his voice reasonable.

"That's true," Frank said, nodding. "We didn't watch the footage long enough to find out."

"You know what that means?" Nancy asked, resigned.

"Yep," Joe said, standing up to dispose of the empty chip bag. "We need to pay Officer AV another visit."

Frank glanced at the clock, then held Nancy's gaze. "But not today. The main office would be closed by the time we got back there." He smiled. "Besides, I have something important to get ready for."

* * *

**I really love reading what you think... :) **


	12. Chapter 12

**I have no excuses. I promised this would be finished in a timely manner and I made a liar out of myself. I'm truly sorry, and I understand if people have moved on from this story. To any of you who are still around, I hope this extremely late chapter doesn't disappoint too much. **

**Much love!**

**~Amy**

**Special thanks to JackieJacks for encouraging me to get back to it.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own three empty wine bottles filled with flowers. **

* * *

Chapter 12

"You look… Wow. There are no words."

"Stop it."

"No, I mean it. This is a whole new look for you."

"It is not. I'm basically wearing the same thing as yesterday."

"And do I detect a hint of aftershave?" Joe frowned. "Are you sure your arm is okay? How did you do all of this by yourself?"

Frank rolled his eyes and glanced around his apartment to make sure he had everything he needed. The one time his brother had to get overprotective, he was running late to one of the most important dates of his life. He had been planning this date with Nancy since he was a teenager. Sure, it had mutated over the years, changing as he did. But the core of it always remained the same – being with Nancy on a warm, starlit night with good food and nice music and…

He mentally shook himself. Now was not the time to be daydreaming. He was about to be in his very own fantasy. That is, as soon as he could get Joe to leave him alone.

"I'm fine. I should be telling Mom that I'm moving back here any day now."

"Just waiting to get up the courage, huh?" Joe smirked at him.

Frank ran his fingers through his hair. It was a couple inches longer than he preferred, and definitely needed a trim. "Something like that. Thanks for stopping by, but I've really got to go."

"Yes, of course. Go woo your woman."

"I'll see you later," he said as he rushed out the door. "Lock up when you leave, if you could."

"Hey Frank?"

He turned to face his younger brother who stood watching him from the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"It's going to be great. Just enjoy yourself and don't try too hard."

Frank pushed a grin through his nerves at the person who knew him best. "Thanks."

"Get out of here. Your lady awaits."

* * *

A few minutes later, Frank Hardy was the one rendered speechless when the door to his parents' house opened.

"I take it that your gaping mouth is a good thing?" Nancy asked with a laugh.

Frank was rooted to his place, unable to do anything other than take in the sight of the girl in front of him. She was wearing a small, midnight blue dress with thick straps and a V-shaped neckline. The slick fabric clung to her body down to her hips, where it flared out into a skirt that landed just above the knee. Her hair was pulled back into a simple clip, a few wisps brushing her face.

"Oh, Nancy, you look…." Frank said before trailing off. He realized midsentence that anything he could end the statement would sound trite. Nothing would accurately express what he truly felt at that moment.

He shrugged, a lop-sided smile on his face. "Insert adjective that defies meaning."

Being in a profession of mostly men had given Nancy the attitude of fitting in and keeping up. She wasn't used to compliments about being feminine and wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

Feeling self-conscious, Nancy tapped him on the shoulder with her silver clutch purse. "Not so bad yourself, Hardy."

"Ready?"

Nancy took in his appearance as he stood on his own front step. His standard button-down with rolled up sleeves was in place, but this time it was tucked in and paired with black trousers. His face was freshly shaven, and she inhaled the faint spicy sent coming from his skin. The light spilling onto the porch from inside the house made his dark eyes appear brighter as they focused on her face. His warm expression made her heart jump.

"Yes." She knew she was ready for more than just the date. She was ready for everything that came with it. Frank's answering smile told her that he understood.

The car ride to the restaurant was quiet with both of them lost in their own thoughts and memories. Frank's car was just as practical as Nancy remembered, and the thought made her smile.

"What?" he asked, noticing her small grin.

"Nothing. Just having a good time."

Frank laughed. "Already? I guess I'm doing something right."

The restaurant he had chosen was one of the nicer ones in Bayport, though definitely not the most expensive. He had a feeling that Nancy would have been uncomfortable instead of impressed with the splendor. Taking a recommendation from Joe, he pulled up to La Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant and within minutes they were seated a table he had reserved.

The room was dimly lit, a candle on each table. Nancy couldn't stop herself from watching the flickering light play across Frank's strong features. She felt like pinching herself, knowing that she was finally out with him.

"This is nice, Frank. Thank y – " Nancy began as she reached for his hand, but she was unable to get the final word out as a young man made a beeline for them.

"Frank Hardy!" he almost bellowed as he made it over to their table.

Frank shot Nancy an apologetic look before standing and shaking the shorter guy's outstretched hand. "Tony, it's been a while. How are things?"

Tony clasped Frank's hand with both of his before stretching out his arms, indicating the large room. "Great. Business is doing well, as you can see."

"Business? You mean this is your place?" Frank couldn't stop the surprise from coloring his voice.

Tony clapped him on the back. "I've come a long way since Mr. Pizza, huh?"

"I'll say."

"So who's this lovely lady?" Tony asked, directing his attention to Nancy.

"Oh, this is Nancy Drew. Nancy, Tony Prito, an old friend from high school."

"Nice to meet you, Tony," she said politely, taking his outstretched hand.

Tony turned to Frank. "So this is _the_ Nancy Drew? The one that had Callie all in a twist in high school?"

Feeling very uncomfortable, Frank ran his hand through his hair. "Um…"

"Have you heard from her lately?" Tony continued. "I hear she's shacking up with some business man in California."

"Well, good for her, I guess." Frank said, unsure of what kind of response Tony was looking for, if any. He truly only wished good things for Callie, even if he didn't particularly enjoy talking about her.

Nancy just leaned her chin on her clasped hands, taking in the scene playing out in front of her. It had been a while since she'd seen Frank look so awkward, and she wasn't sure if jumping in on her part would make things better or worse.

"Tony, it's great to see you, and we'll have to catch up soon. If you'll excuse me, I'm a little busy at the moment." Frank not-so-inconspicuously nodded his head towards Nancy and she stifled a laugh.

Tony winked at Frank. "Oh, absolutely. Just give me a call. I hear Phil's in town. We should all grab a beer sometime."

"Definitely." Frank said as he sat back down. He looked up at his date with chagrin on his face. "I'm sorry about that. Tonight was supposed to be just about you."

"It's okay, Frank. He seems like a nice guy."

"He is, just a little… boisterous."

Reaching across to take his warm hand, Nancy smiled at him. Except this time, she was interrupted by a ringing phone. She dropped his hand and reached for her clutch, digging through the little purse as if it were four times its size.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just reject the call. Now, where is it?" A few seconds and a couple glares from nearby tables later and the ringing finally stopped. It hadn't escaped Frank's notice that Nancy had very briefly frowned at the number before ending the call.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Never better."

Frank knew her well enough to identify the expression that flashed across her features, contradicting her reassurances. He also knew that if he wanted to perfect night he envisioned then he should keep his concerns to himself.

"Alright then, where were we?"

Nancy couldn't stop herself from wondering why she'd be getting a call from work. She'd completed the necessary paperwork to take a short leave from her duties. Every part of her screamed to answer the phone, but she couldn't do that to Frank.

"I think we were right about here," she said, sliding her hand across the table to catch his. Her breath caught briefly at the warm contact.

"Ready to order?"

The abrupt appearance of the waiter made both of them jump. Frank gestured towards Nancy.

"Um, I don't know," she said, realizing that they hadn't even had a chance to look at the menu. She figured that just about anything Italian would be fine with her. "Whatever is today's special."

"I'll have the same," Frank said without hesitation.

"Very good, sir," the waiter said, almost comically formal, before disappearing as suddenly as he had arrived.

"What's the special?" Frank asked.

Nancy laughed. "I have no idea."

The special turned out to be spaghetti and shrimp in a meat sauce. Frank wasn't thrilled about having to eat one of the world's messiest foods in front of the love of his life on their first date, but she had already dug enthusiastically into her meal. He debated cutting it up to avoid slurping, but decided that he would look juvenile across from Nancy. She somehow made eating spaghetti seem elegant.

Nancy's phone rang only twice more before she eventually turned it off. Each time the frown etched into her forehead deepened a little more. Each time she assured him that it was nothing, that she'd call them in the morning. Frank couldn't help feeling like with each missed call her mind traveled farther away from him.

Despite the interruptions, conversation over dinner flowed easily, the couple exchanging stories from their experiences working in espionage. The ease of it all wasn't necessarily a surprise, but it was definitely a relief to Frank.

He had even almost made it all the way through his spaghetti without an incident. As he was on the last couple bites, he looked up from the food to see Nancy staring at him. Normally he wouldn't have minded, the feel of her eyes tracing him both electrifying and soothing at the same time. But this expression wasn't one of tenderness. It was filled with what looked like pity.

"What? What did I do?" he asked quickly. He followed her gaze down to the front of his blue shirt where a large glob of spaghetti sauce was quickly soaking into his shirt.

"Here, I'll get it," she said, leaning over to him with her napkin.

"No, it's fine," he tried to say, but she was already dabbing at the fabric. She looked up into his face with a small grin.

"I don't mind the opportunity," she said, her dabs slowing almost into a caress.

"For what?"

"To be close to you."

Frank couldn't stop himself any longer. He'd been trying to be respectful, polite, all the things a first date should be. He knew that people on first dates don't grope each other. They don't make out over dinner. So many impulses that he'd been controlling in the last hour broke free with her touch.

He brought his hand up to brush her face. Except, he wasn't looking to see where his hand was going. Nor did he account for the glass of water in the way. That is, until he felt himself knock into something and heard Nancy squeak.

She pulled back quickly, and he was mortified to see a dark, wet mark spreading down the front of her dress.

"Oh, Nan, I'm so sorry – " he began, but she cut him off.

"It's fine, really. Just water – not a big deal." She had turned her dabbing skills on herself, trying to soak up some of the excess water.

Frank sat back, reflecting on his evening. Nothing had really gone according to plan. Maybe it was time to cut his losses and try again another day.

"You want to get out of here?"

Nancy shot him a sad smile. "Yeah, dry clothes would be nice."

Luckily, Frank had cash with him. He counted out enough to cover dinner and the tip and chucked the bills on the table. Within minutes they were back in his car, headed for home.

On the front step, Frank paused before opening the door.

"I'm sorry, Nancy."

"Why?" She looked genuinely confused.

Frank turned around and shoved his fingers into his hair, suddenly very agitated. "Because this whole night was ruined. Because it wasn't perfect, like you deserve."

Nancy tugged on his strong good arm until he turned around to face her again. "Frank. None of those things were your fault. What mattered to me was…" she trailed off. Frank watched in distress as her face paled.

"Hold that thought," she said, opening the door and dashing inside.

"Nancy?" he called, following her inside, but she was already up the stairs and closing the door to the bathroom.

Frank sat on the couch feeling utterly defeated. What better way to end the evening than with the girl of his dreams sick in the bathroom.

"Where's the fire?" Joe asked, coming out from the kitchen. He was taking aback by the look of utter despair on Frank's face when he lifted his head.

"I blew it."

Joe sat on the coffee table in front of his brother. "What are you talking about?"

Frank just shook his head, unable to bear recounting all the disastrous events of the evening.

"Do me a favor?" he asked instead.

"Anything, bro. You know that." Joe sensed that it was not the time to start joking about the kind of favors he could be implying.

"Go see if she's okay." Frank's voice was laced with regret and concern, tinged with depression.

"Shouldn't you be the one to do that?" Joe asked, taking a swig from his soda before offering it to Frank, who waved it away without a word.

"I don't think she'll want to see me anytime soon."

"Man, you've got to tell me about this date."

"Later. I've just got to know that she's okay."

"Sure, of course," he said, standing up and passing the cup to his brother. "But I think you're being too hard on yourself. Nancy's the one chick that actually prefers you to me, and I doubt that will be changing anytime soon."

"Ha ha," Frank uttered, clearly not amused.

Joe smirked to himself, realizing how to break Frank out of his funk. "Although, there was this thing up in my bedroom a few days ago. She made me promise not to tell…"

Joe thought he had never seen his brother move so quickly. He was just lucky that he had anticipated the pillow heading towards his head.

* * *

**Even though I took a break from this story, I did participate in NaNoWriMo this year and ended up finishing an original manuscript. I desperately need someone to critique it. If you are at all interested, message me. Thanks!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I can't promise regular updates as you've probably realized, and I'm sorry about that. I will do my best to at least keep updating. That's about all I can handle right now. But, the chapters lately have been longer to make up for it!**

**Chocolate covered strawberries to the reviews of chapter 12: JackieJacks, Hanzo of the Salamander, Colie88, KennaC**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I own a cross-stitch pattern and some thread. **

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 13

"Hey Nan, you okay in there?"

Nancy leaned away from the toilet and flushed. Wiping her mouth with a tissue, she said, "I'm fine."

"Sure?" Joe pushed.

"Of course, but can you bring me my toothbrush?" Nancy had a tendency to wander as she brushed her teeth. It helped her think. Sitting on the cold tile floor, she leaned her head back against the wall as the nausea subsided.

A few seconds later, the bathroom door cracked and a single blue eye peered in.

"Is it safe?"

Nancy laughed - a scratchy, dry sound. "I think the waste has been contained."

"Oh, good." He opened the door wider, handing her the toothbrush before stepping inside.

"Do you need something?" she asked, catching his eye in the mirror before beginning to brush.

Joe shrugged. "I promised Frank I'd make sure you were okay."

"I already said that I was. I just ate something wrong, I guess. I'm actually feeling almost normal already."

He thought for a minute before saying anything else. Never before had he felt the need to carefully select words around Nancy, but the subject he was about to broach could be touchy.

"Are you sure it was just bad food? Not… anything else… parasitic in nature?"

Nancy turned around to face him, toothbrush in hand. "Joe, what exactly are you talking about?"

"Did you and Frank use protection?" There, he said it.

She gaped at him, barely closing her mouth before toothpaste leaked out. "Yes, of course. It's Frank - 'always be prepared' is practically his motto. Joe, I promise you there is no way that I am pregnant right now."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well, when there's no fertilized egg to implant, the uterine lining will shed – "

Joe clapped his hands over his ears. "Okay. Didn't need to hear that."

Nancy shrugged and turned back to the sink to spit. "You asked." Then a thought occurred to her, and she whirled back around and pulled Joe's hands from his ears. "Is that what Frank thinks?"

"I have no clue - he didn't mention it. That idea was all mine. He's pretty upset over this whole ruined date thing and probably isn't thinking much past that."

Nancy sighed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. "It wasn't his fault. Yeah, there were a lot of flubs tonight, but nothing that made me think that it was because of us being together."

"You'll probably want to tell him that." Joe plopped on the floor in front of the door.

"I will. It's just been really difficult. Things in Europe were really good, almost like being away at summer camp in the sense that the rest of the world falls away."

"Summer camp with bombers and thieves, but sure, I get what you're saying."

Nancy laughed. "Yeah. Coming back here, to real life, and making it work is going to be a little harder than we thought."

"Well, believe me when I say that I'm sure that you will."

She looked over at the guy she continually thought of as a younger brother and smiled. "Thanks."

"Well, I've got about thirty seconds of sincerity in me per day, and you just used them up. Hope it was worth it."

"Think you can hold onto it a little longer?"

"Man, you are so needy." Joe rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "No, he doesn't still love Callie. Yes, he really likes you. No, he didn't say if he was going to ask you on another date. Yes, I think he will. Does that cover it?"

"Stop, I'm being serious. I heard you and your mom talking a couple nights ago. Do you really feel that way?"

Nancy watched Joe fidget, suddenly appearing very awkward in his large body. "Not often. Frank and I, well, we're us. I know that's not very descriptive, but you know what I mean. I am the Sundance to his Butch Cassidy."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, we're a partnership, a brotherhood. We're probably the closest two platonic people can get."

"But…"

"But nothing. That's really all there is to say about it. We have our off days, just like you and Frank do." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully, indicating her current situation. "Let it go – we have more important things to worry about."

Nancy felt a little burned by the younger Hardy. She hadn't meant to make him feel like she was prying; she only wanted to express her concern. Joe clearly didn't want or need it.

"Yeah, okay. I won't bring it up again. Tell Frank I'm going to change and then I'll be downstairs."

Nancy was good on her word – ten minutes later she was sans make up and clothed in flannel making her way down to the kitchen. Frank waited for her with a cup of diluted Gatorade in his hand.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

"You okay?" he asked, looking apologetic.

"Yeah, sure. I've had worse. Must have been a weird stomach thing," she said as they settled onto the couch.

"Told you," Joe said to Frank, sprawled on the recliner.

Nancy sipped her drink and laughed, settling into the crook of Frank's arm as they ended the evening with a movie.

* * *

"What do you kids want now?" Officer AV asked, as Frank, Joe, and Nancy slipped into his office. They were trying to avoid being obvious so as to avoid the notice of the chief.

"We were hoping you meant what you said about helping us out," Frank said carefully.

"Well, yeah, but I can't risk getting myself fired," the large man said uneasily.

"Of course not," Nancy soothed. "We just realized that we didn't finish looking at that footage and we're hoping to get another look at it."

"Really, you're just completing the orders you were given before," Joe interjected, before the man could turn them down.

"I suppose," he hedged. "Yeah, okay. I've got to run an errand, though. You remember how to work everything?"

"Absolutely," Frank said in his reassuring baritone. "Nothing to worry about."

Seconds after the man had left them alone again in the small room, Frank had the footage up and running. They fast forwarded through everything they had already seen until they saw a man approach the gun locker.

"I can't make out his face," Nancy said. "He doesn't ever really turn around."

"He's in a police uniform," Joe pointed out. "So he must be an officer."

"Probably," Frank clarified. "It's possible that he obtained the uniform for the purpose of getting into that room."

"Yeah, but look at the way he carries himself – he looks like he belongs there. He knows his way around and exactly where he's going. I'm betting he's an officer."

Nancy stretched before saying, "Well, we can definitely start there. But we still don't have a clear image of his face."

Frank was quiet, a thoughtful look on his face. "We need a copy of this footage."

"Why?"

"At least one good thing came of our date last night, Nancy," Frank said ruefully. "I happen to know that Phil Cohen's in town."

"Computer genius Phil?" Joe asked.

"That's the one. He can probably get an image off the reflective surfaces in the room. Look – see how you can almost catch a blurry glimpse of him here?" He pointed to the metallic surface of the locker. "I bet that Phil will be able to build a composite image from a few of those reflections."

"Let's do it. Except, how do we get a copy? This is some old school equipment."

"Always be prepared," Frank said with a grin. Nancy snorted and Joe looked a little ill at his words. Frank looked between the two of them, confused. "What?"

Joe shuddered while Nancy contained herself. "Nothing. Just… nothing."

Frank didn't press them further as pulled out a cable from his bag and attached it to both his laptop and the machine that held the original footage. Within minutes he had transferred the necessary images onto his computer. "See, no problem."

"Great, now let's get out of here before the chief finds us," Nancy suggested, putting away their chairs.

As they made their way down the hall, Frank stopped in his tracks, causing Nancy to bump into him. She knew it was not the time to comment on the firm muscles in his back, though she may have lingered longer than necessary before stepping away.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"Chief," was all Frank said.

Nancy listened, and she heard a man asking about a woman named Maria.

"She's well. Hopefully she should be returning in a few days," another man who sounded like the chief responded.

"Good…" the voices drifted off.

Frank peered around the corner before waving his hand and moving forward. The coast was clear.

"Who's Maria?" Joe asked once they had climbed into his car.

"No idea," Frank responded. "Girlfriend, maybe."

"Wow, hard to believe there's a woman out there that could love a man as cold as that," Nancy mused. She was grateful that she had nabbed one of the good guys, and briefly squeezed Frank's shoulder.

Frank wasted no time in calling Phil who was actually in town for the next week or so. With nothing else to do other than practice his hacking skills, generally frowned upon by the government, Phil was more than willing to manipulate the footage for them.

"Turn here," Frank directed his brother. "We're going straight to Phil."

"I thought he lived over by you," Joe said, though he made the turn.

"He parents do, but he and his parents are visiting some friends, or something. He didn't supply details, but he wants to see the footage right away."

"So where am I headed?"

"Some flower shop off of Main Street."

"You're joking," Joe groaned, while Nancy chuckled in satisfaction.

Frank looked between the two of them for the second time that day. "Why do I feel like you two are always in on some joke?"

"It's not a big deal, Frank," Nancy reassured. "That's just the place where Joe had his masculinity handed to him by a girl named Vanessa. I'm betting he's not looking forward to an encore."

"On the contrary," Joe said. "I'm very much looking forward to another shot at her. I'm wearing her down, you know."

"Of course," Frank said in mock agreement. By the time they pulled up to the small shop, Joe had almost convinced them it was true.

As they were getting out of the car, Phil was exiting the store. Phil Cohen was a slender, bookish-looking person with dark hair he seemed unable to tame. He and Frank had a quick but joyful reunion before Frank pulled out his laptop and they got down to business. Neither one felt the need for further pleasantries.

Nancy watched Joe take a couple of uncharacteristic deep breaths before he entered the store. She was tempted to follow and observe his latest crushing failure, but found herself more drawn to hearing what Phil could do to help.

"Yeah, there is definitely plenty here to work with," he was saying as she approached them. "I should be able to pull an image of his face no problem."

"How long?"

Phil tugged on his glasses and thought for a second. "A day. Maybe two, depending on the pixilation."

"Great." As Frank finished burning the footage onto a data DVD, they finally caught up on the normal conversations two old friends usually share. Frank learned that he was only in town for a week, visiting his parents before going back to his important job in New York. His parents had met Vanessa's through some mutual friends in the neighborhood when they moved from Manhattan, and since discovering they both had ties to the City, both mothers had tried to get the two together.

"She's a nice girl, but not really my type," Phil said, "And, um, I kind of actually have a girlfriend they don't know about. She's Catholic," he said by way of explanation. Phil was Jewish, and while his parents weren't completely orthodox, they probably wouldn't be thrilled with him dating a devout Catholic.

"Well, good for you, Phil," Frank congratulated his friend, clapping him on the back. "And don't worry, I have a feeling Vanessa's attention may be elsewhere."

Phil shot him a questioning look but didn't say anything.

It was Frank's turn to give a simple answer to explain himself. "Joe."

"Ah," was all Phil said in response, nodding his head. They both knew well the charm of the younger Hardy, both being briefly envious of his way with girls at one time or another.

At the same time, Joe was waiting patiently for Vanessa to finish her current conversation. He had a feeling that barreling in per his norm wouldn't be the correct strategy in that instance. He watched her carefully, catching her gaze and holding it.

Once the older couple left, Vanessa moved around to the back of the counter – arming herself with a shield – and started putting things away.

"Hi, Vanessa," Joe said, approaching slowly.

"Hello, sir." Her voice was clipped, polite. "What can I do for you today?"

Joe was halfway across the room and still moving. "I realized you told me your name, but I never told you mine."

"I don't recall asking for it." Vanessa looked up warily, watching the distance between them close.

"That's okay, I'll tell you anyway." He stopped directly in front of the counter. "It's Joseph, but you can call me Joe."

"I doubt I'll call you anything," she said as she stacked some business cards.

"Oh, you will. Maybe not now, or a day from now." He leaned across the counter, stilled her hands with his own. "But someday soon, you're going to be calling my name, and I'd prefer if you knew the correct one."

Vanessa pulled her hands free. "That was bold."

"I know what I want." His blue gaze never left hers.

"And that is?"

"You. And I mean it this time, no cover-ups about flowers."

"You don't even know me – "

"I'd like to."

" – But if you did you'd know I am not that kind of girl."

Joe wasn't dissuaded. He could tell Vanessa didn't believe that he thought that of her. "Go out with me."

"Why?"

"A date: 'a social appointment, engagement, or occasion arranged beforehand with another person.' I looked it up."

Vanessa folded her arms across her chest. "So?"

"Meet me for coffee at that little place across the street tomorrow at eleven. See? The three P's of dating – planned, paid for, and paired off."

"You sound like a self-help book."

Joe laughed. "At least I'm trying. So what do you say?"

He waited, almost holding his breath, for her answer. She fidgeted and looked down at the business cards, then up at his face again. "Fine. But I'll only have half an hour."

Joe couldn't stop the grin from splitting his face as he backed towards the door. Turning his back or hanging around longer would give her the chance to change her mind. "That's okay, it'll be enough time."

"For what?"

"For you to fall for me."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Love those reviews, if you feel so inclined :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh, sweet summer! Only two more weeks of public school, which means only two more weeks before I'll have more time to devote to finally finishing this story. Over the past couple of weeks I've had a bunch of alert and favorite notifications from readers, and you guys are the ones that kicked my butt into updating. So thank you, all of you, for that. To my regular readers - I've missed you and I hope I don't disappoint!  
**

**Small note - KennaC has been critiquing my original YA manuscript, and she has been fantastic. However, I could really use a fresh set of eyes for draft two. If you are at all interested, please message me. Of course, I'm happy to critique your writing in return if you want.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own two puzzles.  
**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 14

"Are you sure you guys are okay with this?"

"Dad, stop asking. You know we're up for whatever. And if it means you have more time to work on clearing Con, all the better."

"Thanks, son," Fenton said over the phone. "You have the address and everything, right?"

"How many stakeouts have Frank and I been on?"

Fenton smiled to himself. "More than I know how to count."

"So basically, not the first."

"Right."

"We'll be fine. Besides, we've got Nancy with us. She's always good for some butt-kicking."

"Except there will be no kicking of butts, just pictures taken," Fenton said, stern but good-humored.

"Of course," Joe said, the picture of innocence.

"Put Frank on the line."

"I'm kidding."

Fenton laughed. "I know. Good luck."

Joe sauntered into the kitchen to find Frank and Nancy sitting across from each other eating omelets. Each one had their own section of the paper spread out in front of them.

"How domestic."

Frank looked up from his paper but didn't bother responding to his brother's quip. "What did Dad want?"

"The usual. Just double checking that we're all set for the stakeout."

"What's to know?" Nancy asked. "We sit, we wait, we capture incriminating evidence on film. Unless I've been missing something all these years."

"That's basically what I told him," Joe said as he grabbed half of Frank's omelet.

"Help yourself, Joe." An eye roll punctuated the statement. "Anyway, we should get going so we can get in position."

Twenty minutes later found the trio sitting in a car down the street from the house they had staked out previously. No flowers were sitting on the doorstep that time. There was, however, a car in the driveway. It was a good start as far as possibilities went. It hopefully meant at least that someone was home. But then, most houses in the peaceful neighborhood had cars around them.

Nancy wondered why they had taken Joe's car in all its pretentiousness. Besides the need for being covert, Nancy was tired of being crammed in the back. She wasn't a large person, but both Hardy brothers with their long legs had moved their seats all the way back. At the time she had declared that she was fine, but she was beginning to regret that statement.

Shifting into the center of the backseat, she stretched her legs over the center console and let out a relieved sigh.

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to work, Drew."

"Too bad, Hardy. Girls have legs too, you know. And those legs need blood flow."

"Oh, I am well versed in the language of female legs."

"So don't want to know," Nancy said, almost to herself.

"You okay back there?" Frank asked, shifting around to look at her. "I can switch you if you want."

Nancy smiled at him, but shook her head. "Not happening, Frank. I'm perfectly fine. I just needed to stretch my legs a little."

"Yeah, but what if we need to get away in a hurry? You're totally blocking the stick shift," Joe whined.

"Why would we be in a hurry?"

"What if it comes to a shootout and the only way to protect you guys is to gun it out of here?"

"Why would there be a shootout?"

"Well – "

Frank interrupted. "This has been fun, but how about we go back to focusing on the house now? Pass me that camera, Joe."

They sat in (mostly) companionable silence for a while longer, broken up only by the occasional shifting for a more comfortable position by one of them. The leather interior was comfortable, but it made the car hot after sitting in the sun for a while, even with the windows rolled down. Nancy wished that she had brought a hair tie with her to get her hair up off of her neck.

"Here," Frank said, passing back a small elastic band. "You left it on the bathroom vanity this morning."

Nancy startled, not realizing until Frank answered her that she had been speaking out loud.

"Thanks, Frank." The gesture, simple as it was, moved Nancy more than she thought it would. She was about to say more when Joe interrupted her.

"Camera ready, Frank. We've got incoming."

A nondescript blue sedan pulled into the driveway behind the parked car. A man got out and strode up to the doorstep with purpose, like he belonged there. Frank didn't hesitate in taking as many pictures of the man as he could while Nancy logged the time and description in a notebook.

The man looked to be in his 30s with sandy blond hair. His sports coat was tailored to fit, and his belt matched his shoes. If nothing else, the man looked important, or at least, that he was trying very hard to be perceived that way.

Once the man had disappeared inside, Frank clicked through the camera to double check his shots.

"Yes, definitely got some good ones of his face."

"Too bad the woman didn't come outside," Nancy said.

"They don't usually. For that kind of shot you have to get a lot more covert than just sitting in a car a couple of houses down."

"What, not enough cheating causes at the Agency to teach you these things?" Joe interjected.

Nancy laughed, choosing to ignore the dig at her detective skills, first unknowingly by Frank and then very much knowingly by Joe. "Our cases are a little more, you know, high profile than that. Most of the time."

"Hold on…" Frank said. "We've got incoming again."

They all looked up at the house again to see another man walking up to the front door. There weren't any new cars around, and he seemed to have just suddenly appeared there.

"What, is this woman running some kind of brothel?" Joe asked.

Frank didn't answer, instead quickly getting the camera back in place and capturing as many pictures as he could before that man also disappeared inside the house. If the first man seemed like he was trying to be important, this man acted like he wanted to be anything but. His jeans and neutral colored long-sleeved shirt made him fade into whatever was behind him. A baseball hat sat low over his brow. He wasn't acting nervous per se, but he didn't have the same purpose to his stride.

"I feel like I know that man," Frank said after a few seconds.

"He did look to be about our age," Joe said. "Maybe someone from high school?"

"Yeah, maybe. I'll need to see the close up of his face on the computer."

Five minutes later, Joe asked. "Still bothering you, huh?"

"Stop it."

"But it is."

Frank sighed. "He's definitely familiar."

Nancy watched the exchange with a laugh, but chose not to interrupt the two brothers in one of their finer moments.

Before the three detectives left for the day, one other man had walked inside that door. He had been on foot also, though they definitely saw him coming. He may have simply been on an afternoon stroll, for all his confident nonchalance. His average-sized gut and receding hairline put him firmly in the middle-aged category.

The men did eventually leave, though not in the order they arrived. The second, youngest man left first, only about an hour after he had arrived. A few minutes later the man with the car drove away while Nancy wrote down his license plate information.

By the time Fenton had contacted them to call it a day, to their knowledge the third man was still inside. It was possible that he had slipped out another way, but they had no reason to believe that he had with all of the other foot traffic going through the front door.

The two brothers and Nancy sprawled out in the Hardy living room as soon as they got home. Nancy stretched across the couch, sitting up against the arm. Frank lifted her feet and sat down next to her before setting her legs back down on his lap. Joe was in the recliner with a Coke, channel surfing for the most exciting sports match he could find.

"It's always amazing to me how exhausting it can be just sitting around all day," Nancy said after yawning.

"Well, there's more to it than just sitting, since we're constantly on alert." Frank took one of her calves in his hand started to massage the stiff muscle.

Nancy groaned quietly at the pleasurable pain going up her leg, while Frank did the best he could to focus on his task instead of the last time he had heard her make a sound similar to that. He resolved himself further to do two things as soon as possible: take Nancy out again and move back to his own place where they could finally be together. Judging by the look Nancy gave him, she was thinking the same thing. _Soon_, he thought.

"I know. I just hate feeling so lazy and unhelpful."

Fenton walked in the door just as Joe had settled on a baseball game, causing Nancy to grumble about how slow paced baseball can be. He put down his briefcase on the coffee table and settled into the armchair across from them.

"How did it go?"

"We're either dealing with a working woman or a case of an entirely different nature altogether," Frank said.

"You're going to have to elaborate on that one, son."

"Guess how many men we saw going into that house today," Joe said before sipping from his can.

Fenton seemed surprised, but answered anyway. "Um, three?"

Joe looked over at his father. "There is no possible way you could have known that. And besides, you just ruined the game."

Fenton laughed, though it sounded more tired than anything else. "It was just a guess. I take it there were, in fact, three men?"

"You got it." Frank grabbed his laptop and pulled up the pictures that had just finished uploading. "Here are bachelors one, two, and three."

"Number one – that's Jacob Harvey," Fenton said after a moment of looking through the photos.

"Who's that?" Nancy asked.

"The mayor's aide. I have my suspicions that he's the man who does most of the running of this city, while our actual mayor is the face and takes the credit."

"Who exactly were we supposed to be finding on this stakeout, anyway? I assume some woman hired you," Frank said.

"Yes, of course. Some woman named Sarah Reed. Her husband had been spending a lot of unexplained time away from her and she wanted to know why. Said she found the address and date when she was doing his laundry."

"Did she tell you anything else about him?" Nancy asked.

"No, she didn't, but I do know that he isn't Jacob Harvey. Though I suppose he could be one of the others. I don't recognize them straight off, and she didn't send a picture."

"That seems odd."

"Not always. These women don't usually want the husband to be guilty and often undermine their own efforts to catch them without realizing it."

As Fenton and Nancy had been talking, Frank had zoomed in on the second man's face. The memory was so close – just beneath the surface of his thoughts. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get the picture in his head to focus. Then, it popped into view.

"The police station!"

The other three people in the room turned to look at him, though no one spoke, allowing him to explain himself.

"There was a guy who was talking to the chief at the police station and then left in a real hurry, bumping into people and everything. I am almost completely sure that man number two is him."

"So we've got the chief, the mayor and some random guy all in cahoots?" Joe asked.

"And why?" Nancy added.

"I don't know. I just know that this is the same person."

Laura Hardy came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. Her apron was smudged with red sauce.

"How are the cases going?"

"Slowly, but we're not giving up," Fenton said as he stood and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"How was your date, Joe?"

Nancy thought that it may have been the first time she had ever seen the younger Hardy visibly pale.

"What's today?" he asked, sounding panicked.

"The day after yesterday, which is when you asked her out," Frank supplied.

Joe sat up and put his hands in his hair. "You have got to be kidding me. This is so not good. Why didn't you guys remind me that I was supposed to be meeting Vanessa?"

Frank shrugged. "You were so gung-ho about the stakeout that I figured you had rescheduled or something. That, and I didn't think you could ever forget about a date."

"Same," Nancy said.

Joe leaned his head back with a groan. "It's true that that has never happened before. What am I going to do?"

The other Hardys and Nancy looked at each other. Laura was the one who finally answered him.

"Grovel."

* * *

**I would love to hear from all of you about what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello you wonderful people!**

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend JackieJacks. You are lovely!**

**I'm maybe pushing the T rating a little with this chapter. But only just a little, I think. You'll have to let me know. So, this chapter has not as much mystery but plenty of other things... :)**

**Oh, and I'm working on getting one of my original manuscripts out into the hands of an agent, so if any of you have connections to the publishing world, you are more than welcome to let me know :)  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a large bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough. It's delicious.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 15

"Get out of my store."

"No."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"That's okay, because I enough to say for the both of us."

Vanessa crossed her arms and turned away. "I'll call the police."

"That's probably not a good idea right now," Joe said, thinking of how unwelcome his family was around the station lately.

He took a step closer to the counter. "Look, I'm sorry. I was doing something really important, I swear."

"Like?" Vanessa sat down on the stool behind the counter, holding onto her defensive position.

Joe hedged, "I can't really say."

Vanessa faced him full on and looked him straight in the eye. "That's not good enough. First, you push me for information. Next, you beg me to go out with you. And then when I finally agree against my better judgment, you stand me up. I don't how guys treat girls up here, but in the city those are grounds for never being spoken to again."

Joe pulled up another stool and sat down so he could be on the same level as her. Looking down at her more than their height difference already required made him feel uncomfortable.

"I wouldn't blame you for never speaking to me again. I just hope that you can look beyond this and give me another chance."

"What could possibly be so important that you couldn't even call?"

"Well, I didn't have your number…" Joe started, but trailed off when Vanessa's face darkened. "Though I could have called the shop," he finished sheepishly.

"Look," Joe tried again, "does the Hardy name mean anything to you?"

"Not really."

"Well, if you really want to know why I wasn't there yesterday, do a search on Fenton Hardy. I'm his son, and my brother is Frank. That should tell you everything you need to know. If that life isn't something you can handle, then it probably is best that we go our separate ways." Joe stood up when he finished speaking and headed for the door.

He didn't look back to see Vanessa's mouth gaping after he turned the tables on her.

* * *

"Nancy, are you almost done in there?" Frank asked as he knocked on the bathroom door after rolling out of bed in his sweatpants and undershirt. He had just heard the shower shut off and he was hoping to get in after her.

"Just about," she answered, and he heard the door unlock. "You can come on in if you want."

Frank opened the door and froze. This time it was he who was treated to Nancy in a towel instead of the other way around. Granted, it was a large towel and he had seen her in less, but he had to command his body not to go to her and strip the fabric off. He clenched his jaw to keep himself from talking and ruining the moment.

"Don't worry – I wasn't showering for that long. There's still plenty of hot water," Nancy said, misunderstanding his silence. She was parting her wet hair and didn't seem to notice his reaction.

When Frank still didn't say anything, Nancy looked up and caught his eyes in the mirror. The fire she saw in them rooted her to her spot. She didn't turn around to face him, but she couldn't look away, either.

Frank finally moved, slowly stepping closer to her, never changing the focus of his gaze.

"Frank?" Nancy started to ask, but she was cut off by the feeling of Frank's arms sliding around her waist. Her eyes started to close without her permission – his chest was so warm, so strong, pressed against her – but she forced herself not to lose the connection with him in the mirror.

Finding the edge of the towel at the side of her body, Frank slid one hand inside, touching the skin of her stomach. He barely held back a shudder at the realization that one small tug would bare her for him.

Nancy's body flamed up at the similar thoughts she was having. She gripped the counter to steady herself before Frank pulled her tighter against him, making steadying on her part unnecessary.

Still without dropping her gaze, he lowered his head and gently kissed her earlobe. Nancy opened her mouth and tilted her head in reflex. Then she gasped quietly as his kiss turned into a tug as his teeth found her ear. She leaned back into him, wishing that the hand on her stomach would move to more interesting places.

Frank must have had the same idea, because as his lips moved down to her neck, his hand began trailing slowly upwards. Staring into his eyes maybe every motion that much more intense. Nancy felt like she would explode from the tension.

He stopped at the bottom of her ribcage, and Nancy almost whined in protest. He was so close to giving her what she wanted.

"Join me."

It was only a whisper. Nancy wondered at first if he had even spoken, but she had watched his perfect lips move in the mirror, felt the air brush her neck.

"What?" she asked, just as quietly. She was as unwilling to break the spell as him.

"Shower with me. No one's home. No one would care anyway."

"Frank," Nancy breathed.

He ducked his head one more time, watching her reflection. "Please," he murmured against her ear. This time it was Nancy's turn to shudder.

"Okay."

Nancy moved her hands to where the towel was secured and unhurriedly tugged at it. She watched as Frank's eye's got a little rounder, giving her confidence.

"Where are you guys?"

Frank blinked and looked away as the words roared through his head. He felt Nancy quickly reverse her intentions on the towel as he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

Frank regained his voice first. "We'll be right down, Joe," he said, hoping that he sounded at least close to normal.

He glanced back up to mirror to see that Nancy was looking down. His heart sank into his toes, feeling like somehow he had done something wrong.

"I'm sorry, Nancy," he said, though he wasn't sure what he was apologizing for.

When she looked back up, he was relieved to find no sadness on her face, only quiet determination.

"Let's go to your place."

Frank forced himself not to take a step back in surprise.

"When, now?"

"Soon. Today."

There was no hesitation. "Okay."

Nancy left the bathroom and returned to her room. Sitting down on Joe's bed, she took a few deep breaths, needing to recover from the powerful sensations she'd experienced in the bathroom.

Frank quickly stepped out of his clothes and opened the shower curtain. Sighing, he moved the faucet to C and turned it on.

* * *

Frank was surprised to see that he beat Nancy to the kitchen when he went downstairs. He wondered if she was reeling as much as he was. The cold shower had done little to temper his yearning, especially after her request.

"Don't you have a flower shop to be at?" he asked Joe when he sat down next to him at the table. He made no effort to mask his annoyance.

"Already been there. Now I have to give her time to miss me."

"Whatever, man."

Joe turned the page in his newspaper. "What's got you all agitated?"

Frank closed his eyes and counted. "You know, you could be a little more subtle when you arrive at places."

Joe looked up from the page he had been reading and studied his brother. Then it clicked. "Oh. _Oh_. Wow, I'm an idiot."

"No argument here."

"See, usually it's been the other way around. I guess I'm just not used to you being the one that has the girl – "

"I get it, Joe. You're usually the stud, and you're sorry. No need to elaborate." He very well remembered the times he'd accidently walked in on his brother. He wished he didn't. "Just please be more careful, okay? I'm dying here."

"Yeah, that must really suck, huh? She's so close, yet so far…"

"Shut up."

"Got it. But seriously, I'm sorry."

Frank cuffed his brother's shoulder. "It's okay. But you better stay away from my apartment for the rest of the day."

Joe raised his eyebrows, but Frank was saved from having to hear whatever he had to say by Nancy walking into the kitchen, her hair freshly blow-dried.

"So what's the plan for today, guys?" she asked as she got out a bowl and some cereal. It was late morning, but since it was her first meal of the day she felt like breakfast food still qualified.

"I'm not sure what else we can do at this point, unless Dad has something for us," Frank said as he poured himself some coffee. "We're still waiting on Phil to get back to me about that man in the video."

"When does he think he'll be done?" Joe asked.

"Anytime now. Since the recording equipment was pretty old, it might take him longer than he originally thought."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Nancy asked, though her gaze drilled into Frank as she spoke.

"Well, I for one am going to spend a few hours at the gym," Joe said before his brother could answer. "I don't suppose either of you would want to join me?"

Frank and Nancy looked at each other before shaking their heads.

"No thanks, Joe," Frank answered for both of them. "I think Nancy and I are going to take in some of the sights of Bayport."

Joe held in a laugh. "Oh? What kinds of sights?"

"Just the ones that she's been missing since she got here." Frank said, trying not to sound annoyed at his brother's teasing.

"That's great. Hey Nan, why don't you go get the car started since Frank won't be driving? I just need to ask him about something."

Nancy looked back and forth between the two of them for a second before shrugging and exiting the kitchen.

"What do you want, Joe?" Frank asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance anymore.

Joe held up his hands. "Look, I'll be the first one to say that I've always encouraged you to at least try to get out more, if you know what I mean."

Frank rolled his eyes at the euphemism, but nodded.

"And I fully support you in that. I just want to make sure that it's what you want right now."

"What are you talking about?"

Joe sighed, frustrated, and stood up to face his brother. "You've just been really mixed up lately with this whole Nancy thing. Do you sleep with her? Do you date her? Do you tell Mom and Dad? Et cetera. You seemed so determined to do things right by her a couple days ago. Taking her back to your place for some fun seems like, well, like something I would do. Not you."

Joe held his gaze steady on Frank, watching his emotions flicker on his face.

"I appreciate your concern, Joe. I really do. But if I don't get a chance to be with her I think I'll lose it."

"No you won't. You are so way stronger than I am. If you want to hold off so you can court her properly, or whatever, then do it."

Frank ran his hands through his hair. "I'll think about it."

Joe relaxed once he realized that Frank wasn't going to get mad at him for sticking his nose in his business. "Okay."

"I'm out of here. Call me if you need us. Only in emergency," he added quickly before Joe could interrupt.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Joe called after Frank as he opened the front door.

"Yeah, that might be the problem," Frank muttered to himself.

* * *

**Soooo... do they do it? Or don't they? What do you think? I just might listen... :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**I know, two updates in same month? What? It's a miracle! **

**Much love to everyone who reviewed chapter 15: Narniafan96, Severedwasp, Confidential Brunette, Hanzo of the Salamander, JackieJacks, Inotia, Killian2011 - You are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own several board games and puzzles.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 16

The atmosphere in Frank's car could only be described as tense.

Neither of the two had said much, instead each deep in their own thoughts about what they were about to do.

Nancy knew that in Europe, it had been a moment of gratitude, of life-affirmation, of passion. She was sure that she wanted to go there again with him, but her worries made her anxious. She worried that now that they were both thinking about it that it would be awkward. She worried that since they were back to real life that it would be weird. She didn't want that for them, couldn't bear the thought of ruining their relationship because they tried to push it into something it wasn't.

Frank wondered if his injury would make him unable to be the strong man he believed she wanted. It was healing well, but he still felt weak, and excessive pressure using that arm caused him pain. He wondered if Joe had a point. He _had_ been really set on making sure they did the dating thing the right way instead of treating Nancy like some booty call. He wondered if he could be as strong as Joe said he was, or if he even wanted to.

After a few quiet directions, Nancy pulled into Frank's assigned parking spot. Lacing her fingers with his, she let him lead her up the stairs to his apartment. Once inside, Frank locked the door while Nancy wandered over to his bookshelf.

"Nancy."

She turned to face him from across the small living room. Seeing the open expression on his face, she smiled. It was a small, soft kind of smile, barely turning up the corners of her mouth. Frank stayed where he was by the door, so she slowly stepped closer to him, keeping her eyes on his face. She stopped just before their bodies would have brushed against each other, waiting for him to close the distance. Nancy knew that Frank had made the first suggestion back in the bathroom, but she needed him to make the choice when she wasn't almost naked.

Frank was at war with himself. He wanted to touch her so badly, and he knew that she wanted it too. But what kind of precedent was he setting? That the only thing keeping them together was the prospect of sex? He couldn't bear for her to think that, even if she was okay with it, though he didn't think she would be. She was so much more to him than that, and he had done a crappy job so far of showing her. But she was _right there_ in front of him…

Frank reached out a hand to tuck away her hair, leaned down, and kissed her. He felt her small body instantly melt into his, and he snaked his other arm around her waist to hold her there. Her lips pressed against his, moving, caressing. He let her take the lead, still trying to hold onto a shred of control while he made a decision over what to do.

Then her hands slipped down to his belt.

Frank tore his mouth away from hers, internally smacking himself both in punishment for what he was about to do and to wake him up enough to actually do it. Both breathing hard, they stared at each for a few moments.

"Nancy – " Frank said again, but he was cut off by his phone ringing in her pocket. He slumped back against the door and fumbled in his pocket while Nancy smoothed her hair.

"Frank Hardy."

"Hey, Frank. I've got that picture for you," Phil Cohen said on the other end of the line.

Frank breathed out heavily. "That's great news. Can you make out his face?"

"Clear as day. Facial recognition software would even be able to pick it up."

"You are a miracle worker. Email me the picture?"

"Already done. Just wanted to make sure you knew to look for it."

"Thanks, Phil. I owe you one."

"Are you kidding? Over the course of our friendship I'd say you owe me about a hundred by this point, but I won't collect just yet."

Frank laughed. It was probably true. "Just let me know when you want to cash in."

"Will do. Call me if you need anything else."

After hanging up, Frank filled Nancy in on what Phil had told him.

"That's great! Where's your computer?" She asked. "We should get on this right away."

Frank looked down for a second before meeting her eyes. "Well, I have a desktop computer that's partially in pieces right now, but my laptop is at my parents' house."

"Oh," Nancy said quietly. She understood what he was really saying. The moment for them to be together had once again been interrupted by work.

"We can stay here for a while longer," Frank suggested half-heartedly. He knew that they were basically on the way back to the house already.

"No, it's okay. We have time for this later." She took his hand. "And once this is all over, hopefully a _lot_ of time."

Frank smiled. On one hand, he was so frustrated that they were interrupted again, feeling almost as if they were doomed for ever trying in the first place. On the other hand, it saved him from having to tell her that he might have stopped them. He still wasn't exactly sure what he had been about to say when he broke their kiss.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fenton Hardy had a meeting with a man that he had once known very well. Though Richard Sandberg was currently serving as the mayor of Bayport, there had been a time when he had desperately needed Fenton's help. Fenton hoped that that would pay off in his favor.

"Fenton!" The round man boomed as his secretary led Fenton into the spacious office.

"Richard, it's good to see you."

"And you. I hope that everything is going well."

Fenton settled into his seat as the mayor returned to his large leather desk chair.

"Yes, mostly."

"Mostly?"

Fenton leaned back, the picture of ease. "Well, I'm working on this case right now and I've run into a little snag. I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Certainly, I'll do what I can. What is it?"

"It seems that one of your employees may be mixed up in something… unsavory."

"Who?"

"Jacob Harvey."

"Harvey? Impossible. He's one of the best aides I've ever had and a stand-up guy at that. I can't believe that he would do anything improper."

"Now, Richard, I know how politics can be," Fenton said smoothly. "Surely there could be something going on. Maybe something you aren't aware of."

The mayor's face turned a pinkish color. "Even more impossible. I know everything going on with all of my employees. No one would keep secrets from me."

"Then you need to tell me."

Richard leaned forward. "I can't."

Fenton moved closer to his old acquaintance until only a few inches separated them. "That's unfortunate."

Then he returned to resting comfortably in his chair as he continued. "It's been a long time since I've cleaned out my old files. I should go through them and get rid of ones I don't need any more. There might be some interesting reading in one of them. Perhaps I'll start with the S's."

The mayor's face visibly paled. "Look, I really don't know anything."

"Jacob Harvey was seen meeting with a secretive man who is collaborating with the police chief on some matter. Try harder."

"Chief Clarke just required that I give him my support and appointment as police chief. He said it was important and that I would be… compensated."

Fenton let that one slide for the moment. "So what is Jacob Harvey up to?"

"I don't know. He just said he had a meeting. Something about making sure that the compensation comes through." The mayor sighed, a pitiful sound. "He doesn't tell me much."

"Did he approach you with this arrangement?"

"He did. He said he'd make my position as mayor uncomfortable if I said no."

"Where would I find him?"

"He's out on business right now. You'd have to check with my secretary."

Fenton stood up and offered his hand. "Thank you, Richard. I think I'll leave my file purging for another day."

* * *

"You're back sooner than I expected," Joe said, looking quizzically at his brother as he came through the front door. Nancy was right behind him.

"Phil called," Frank said as he darted upstairs. Nancy plopped down on the couch as Joe came fully into the living room.

"Ah." Joe understood that for both Frank and Nancy that work came first.

"I thought you were heading to the gym," Nancy said.

"I was looking for some gym clothes so I wouldn't have to go back to my apartment first. I was given explicit instructions to stay away from that part of the city for the rest of the day…" Joe trailed off and looked at Nancy out of the corner of his eye.

She sighed. "What did Frank tell you?"

"Nothing much, just – "

Joe didn't get a chance to finish because Frank came back downstairs in a rush, holding his laptop with his good arm.

"You guys need to see this. We should probably call Dad, too."

Joe and Nancy crowded around Frank as he pulled up two pictures side by side on his computer. The first one showed bachelor number three from the stake out. The second photo was the composite picture that Phil had emailed him.

"It's the same man!"

* * *

**Many thanks, as always, for reading! I would so appreciate a review so I know what you think!**

**Also... I'm thinking about adding onto Missing Pieces... perhaps a "what could have happened if Joe hadn't interrupted in Chapter 15"... Or if you rather, "what could have happened if Phil hadn't interrupted in Chapter 16."**

**... thoughts? **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello friends!  
**

**Long(ish) Author's Note at the end. It's kind of important...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a subscription to Netflix, which means that I have become completely obsessed with the TV show Roswell. Max + Liz 4evs... :)  
**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 17

"Are you in yet?"

"Just about, Joe. A little patience, please."

Joe flopped onto the recliner in the living room that three Hardys and Nancy had turned into an operating base. "We could call Phil."

"I think hacking a semi-secure database is something I can handle on my own." Frank leaned back and kept typing on his laptop.

Nancy returned from the kitchen with a sandwich. Joe wordlessly held out his hand as she passed, but instead of handing him the sandwich she twisted his finger.

"Hey! Frank, your girl– " Joe glanced over at his father who shot him a sly look and broke off the word. He had forgotten that supposedly no one else knew. "I mean, Nancy is kind of mean."

"You're capable of making your own lunch. There's plenty of food in the kitchen," Nancy said before digging in.

Fenton chuckled. "You should know better, Joe. Anyway, let's review. So far, what do we know?"

"As usual, our cases have collided. Instead of a simple cheating husband case, the mayor's aide, shadow man, and a potential officer all had a meeting with some woman the other day," Joe said while rubbing his finger.

"We don't know for sure that it was a woman. We don't even know if there was another person. They may have all just been meeting with each other," Nancy said.

"That's a good point, Nancy. But Mrs. Reed seemed to think there was some other woman in her husband's life."

"I wish we had had some way to get inside that house. Then we'd know for sure."

"Something to think about," Fenton agreed. "We also know that the mayor's aide is working with the police chief. To what end, I haven't figured out yet. We know that if nothing else, Clarke compensated the mayor for his endorsement so he could become chief."

"I'm in," Frank said. The other three crowded around him with Fenton leaning against the backside of the couch to look at the police database.

"Start with doing a search for an Officer Reed," Joe suggested.

"Already on it."

In a couple of seconds the database pulled up a picture and profile of bachelor number three, the man in Phil's picture.

"Well, there you go," Nancy said, after a short silence. "He is, in fact, an officer."

"Look at that, Frank," Joe said, pointing to something on the screen.

Frank nodded thoughtfully. "His current partner is Officer Jackson."

"That would help to explain what Jackson was doing with the gun that day. It's possible that Reed put him up to it."

"I wonder if he would talk to me," Frank said.

"Do you have an in with him?" Fenton asked.

"Well, just that he told me to butt out back at the station, but for some reason I think I could get through to him. It seems like he's mixed up in all this and looking for an out. Maybe I could give that to him."

"It's worth a shot," Joe said, shrugging. "How are you going to get to him?"

Frank was already typing in another search, and soon Officer Jackson's face was the one staring back at them on the screen. He quickly jotted down the phone number and address listed under the boy's name.

"I'm going to give him a call and tell him to meet me. Maybe if I'm mysterious he'll be too curious _not_ to talk."

By the time Frank had finished talking the phone line was already ringing in his ear.

"Officer Jackson."

"You need to meet with me."

"Excuse me? Who is this? I am an officer of the law."

Frank tried not to laugh at the tough front the boy was putting up.

"I know what you did."

"I don't know what you're talking ab – "

"Yes, you do. I can help. Meet me." Frank listed a time and a well-known place. He didn't give Jackson a time to respond before hanging up on him.

"Do you want anyone to go with you?" Nancy asked.

"No, I think I'll be less likely to spook him if I go alone, though I would appreciate a ride."

An hour later Joe dropped his brother off at the coffee shop he was supposed to have met Vanessa at. He sighed in resignation, determined not to return to the flower shop until he'd heard from her.

"Thanks, Joe," Frank said as he climbed out of the car.

"Sure thing. I'll just go park around the corner."

Frank took his time stretching his cramped muscles from the small car and surveying the coffee shop through the windows. He thought he saw Jackson sitting at one of the tables. Instead of going straight to him once he entered the store, Frank nonchalantly ordered an iced tea and leaned against the counter to wait. When he had received his drink, he sauntered over to Jackson's table and slipped into the chair across from him.

"You!" Jackson said, surprise coloring his face.

"I thought you would have run my phone number by now and found me out," Frank said, shrugging.

"I didn't have time. I was in the middle of something and had to figure out how to get away."

"Well, I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Jackson sighed and slurped his coffee. "It's fine. But this better be good. What exactly do you think you know?" His eyes shifted around the shop nervously as he spoke.

Frank moved forward. "I know that you're in the middle of something big. I know that it's not your fault, and that you didn't mean for anything bad to happen. I know that you're scared."

Jackson's eyes focused on Frank. "I'm not scared, and I didn't do anything wrong."

Frank leaned back and studied the younger man. "Come on, I know you took that gun."

Jackson paled and looked down. "That was nothing. Just something my partner needed me to do. It wasn't a big deal."

"It is. Because right now it's looking like you framed Con Riley for murder."

"What? No! I didn't, I swear. You know, if you hadn't gone poking around in things everything would have been fine. Everything _is_ fine."

"Why are you trying so hard?" Frank asked, tired of Jackson's lies. "Who are you trying to protect?"

Jackson jabbed his finger against his own chest angrily. "Myself." He stood up to leave and tossed his coffee cup in the garbage. "Look, next time you go digging around, why don't look up Officer Packer. Find out who his partner was, what he was looking into, and what happened to him. Then you'll understand why I'd appreciate it if you don't call me again."

Before Frank could say anything, the young man stormed out the door and down the street. Frank rose slowly from his seat and sipped his tea, taking in Jackson's parting words. It wasn't exactly the meeting that he had hoped for, but at least he had gotten some information out of him. He wished that the younger guy had realized that he could trust Frank, but he understood his fear.

Once at home, Frank, Joe, and Nancy once again crowded around Frank's computer as he logged himself into the police database.

"Wasn't Packer the one who died?"

"Yeah," Frank said quietly.

He was relieved to see that the officer still had a listing up in the database. All three leaned in closer to see what it said in his profile.

"Deceased," Nancy read aloud. "The suspected assassin is a drug cartel with the murder occurring on the docks, investigation ongoing. Last partner…"

"Officer Reed," Joe finished grimly.

* * *

"We need to talk."

Nancy looked up at the bedroom door to see Frank leaning against the frame with his arms crossed.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in trouble?" Nancy asked, turning on the bed to sit facing him.

Frank tugged his hand through his hair but didn't step any closer. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to hold on to his shred of control if he crossed that threshold.

"You're not in trouble. I am."

"What?" Nancy stood and walked closer to Frank, taking in his exhausted and frustrated expression. She stopped a few feet away from him when she saw the muscles in his arms tighten. "What are you talking about?"

"We can't keep doing this."

Nancy's entire body froze cold. Those were almost the exact same words that Ned had said to her when he broke up with her. She didn't think she could bear the thought of going through the same thing with Frank.

"You don't want to be with me?" she asked, her voice flat, shocked.

Frank's eyes widened when he realized what she was thinking. "No, of course not! Dang, that didn't come out right. I mean, yes, I want to be with you. More than anything."

Nancy relaxed, but only marginally. "Then what's the problem?"

"I've been acting like one of those guys I hate. Acting like the most important thing is sex, that the only thing I care about getting from you is your body. That couldn't be further from the truth, but it's the only thing I've shown you."

"Frank, I understand, but it goes both ways. I've wanted to be with you as much as you've wanted to be with me. I'm not worried about it." She tried to reach for his hand, but he moved it carefully out of the way. Nancy dropped her arm, stung.

"I won't be that guy, Nancy, even if you're okay with it. Because I never will be."

"So now what, are you breaking up with me?" Again Nancy felt the nauseating déjà vu of her last conversation with Ned.

"No, of course not. If anything, I want the exact opposite. I want to actually date you. I want to take you out to dinner, the movies, the beach. I want to read books and watch bad TV together. I don't want us to sleep together until we're more established in a relationship."

"We already went out," Nancy pointed out, though by the look on Frank's face she immediately wished she hadn't.

"Once, and it was almost a disaster. If we can't make it work officially, then maybe we shouldn't be together. It would kill me if that's true, but I need to find out. You deserve better than to be just a hook up."

Nancy was beyond irritated that Frank was deciding their relationship for the both of them, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Other than close the door on his face and go to bed, both of which she proceeded to follow through on.

* * *

**1. First of all, I didn't get much response about an M outtake... Frankly, it's embarrassing to write unless I know people want it. So please, be vocal about it if you want to read it!**

**2. I have good news... I have finished this story! No, this isn't the last chapter, but at least now I can promise you that it will all be posted in a timely manner. No more months between updates. There are 25 chapters total. I plan to post once or twice a week until it's all up here. **

**3. Because I can now definitely promise that this story will be completed soon, I am going to remind everyone about the (sort of) contest I started a year ago. To remind you:**

** Basically, I want to say thank you to all of the people who review. It's such a huge lift to my spirits, writing and otherwise. I can't begin to tell you how big I smile when I get the notice saying I have a review. It never gets old. So, I want to give back. I've been collecting the original Supermystery books, and I've acquired a bunch of doubles. Sooo... Once this story is complete I'm going to give them away to a few reviewers. Here's how this is going to work:**

**- Review through a fanfiction registered account with PM capabilities.**

**- Each review counts as one entry, so if you review for more than one chapter, you get an entry for each review.  
**

**- That being said, it has to be genuine. You can't just hit the review button a bunch of times and write nonsense. Those will not count as entries. This is not about boosting my review count. This is about acknowledging the wonderful people who take the time and feel so inclined to do so.**

**- It doesn't even have to be a positive review, as long as it's constructive. **

**- I will count all past and future reviews, going all the way back to Chapter 1. **

**- Once the story is finished, I'll assign each eligible review a number and then select a couple random numbers. I'll PM you saying that you've been selected, and if you want to receive a book (you certainly don't have to, completely up to you) you can give me your mailing address.**

**- I will ship anywhere in the world that can be shipped to.**

**Any questions? Message me!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**So I started work today again... I teach middle school. So, I am definitely glad that I finished this story ahead of time so that I can keep posting! **

**My everlasting love to the reviewers of Chapter 17: leyapearl, Severedwasp, Confidential Brunette, JackieJacks, Hanzo of the Salamander**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own a VeggieTales coloring book and crayons.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 18

"Are you sure that they'll let us in? We're not exactly about to be voted most popular around the station these days."

"I know, son, but Con has been held in there for over a week," Fenton answered his youngest boy. "We owe it to him as his friends to at least try to visit him."

"Besides," Frank added, "I don't know what reason they would come up with to refuse us the chance to visit."

Joe shrugged. "Then let's go." Shooting his brother a look, he added, "Will Nancy be joining us?"

Frank glanced up the stairs where Nancy was currently typing away on her computer. Their conversation that morning had been brief and tense. He knew that she was mad at him – closing her door on him the night before spoke clearly to that. He only hoped that she could understand why he decided what he had.

"She mentioned something about needing to finish some paperwork and liaison with her superiors. I'm leaving her my car so she can catch up with us if she wants."

Nodding, Joe said, "It's easy to forget that she actually has a real job. She hasn't exactly spent a lot of time on it, huh?"

"I suspect she's been doing more than you think," Fenton said, surprising both of his sons.

Answering their unspoken questions, he continued, "I've heard her on the phone late at night, and a couple of times she asked me about getting a secure internet connection. Naturally I assumed it was for work."

Frank frowned. "Why didn't she ask me?"

"Is there any particular reason she would ask you, someone who technically doesn't live in this house anymore, son?" Fenton asked, raising an eyebrow.

Joe snorted to cover a laugh, while Frank exhaled. "No, of course not. I'm just usually the technology guy, that's all."

Frustrated and feeling trapped, Frank uttered a quick excuse and dashed back up the stairs. Nancy's door was open, so he took in the sight of her working for a moment. He didn't want to leave things the way they were.

Finally, Nancy must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked up, straight into his gaze.

"What?" She asked, though the word came out more defeated than angry.

"Please meet me for coffee." The words came out in a rush. It definitely wasn't the smoothest way to ask out a girl, but all Frank was going for was a yes.

"What?" Nancy repeated, seemingly coming out of her working world and into Frank's.

"I would love it if you could meet me for coffee. I was serious last night. I want to date you."

"Well, I'm not so sure if I want to date you anymore, Frank."

Frank's heart seized in his chest. Nancy must have seen the shock and devastation on his face, because her own expression softened though her words were less than positive.

"I'm upset about the way you've handled this, and I don't like feeling this way."

Frank opened his mouth to talk, but Nancy held up her hand to stop him. His jaw snapped shut.

"However, I understand how important this is to you, so I'll go along with it." _For now_, she added silently in her head. "I will meet you for coffee."

Frank slowly opened his mouth this time, making sure that Nancy was done talking. She chuckled and rolled her eyes but didn't stop him.

"I've also been thinking that we should tell our parents. I mean, how do we expect to make it work officially if we're not actually officially together? But we can talk about it more over coffee, if you decide you still want to be with me."

Before she could change her mind, Frank turned and went back down the stairs, ignoring Joe's quizzical look.

As they stepped outside to the car, Joe whispered to Frank, "You should just tell them already."

Frank paused before answering. "I'm not sure there's much to tell."

Joe stopped walking and stared at his brother. "What are you talking about?"

"I've just been thinking a lot about it. I don't know. Now's not really the time, though," Frank said as he gestured towards their father, a few steps ahead.

As the Hardys left, Nancy was on the phone with her office in Washington D.C. She was supposed to be on a leave of absence, but some things couldn't wait. Something was going down along the coast of New York, and they wanted her to help figure out what. Without much to go on, Nancy decided to bring it up with the Hardys once they had closed the case involving their friend. Surely they would have more insight.

Desperately needing a break from men, Nancy called Bess. It had been too long since she'd caught up with her old friend.

"So is it love?" Was the first thing Bess said to her, even before hello.

Nancy sighed. "I thought so."

Bess latched onto that right away. "Thought? Past tense? What could have possibly happened already?"

Nancy sighed again, but this time in frustration. "He just decided that we're not going to sleep together until we actually go on dates."

"That bastard!" Bess said facetiously.

"Well, obviously it doesn't sound that bad, but it's the fact that he made this choice all on his own without even discussing it with me. He said he didn't want me to feel like just a hook up."

Seriously this time, Bess said, "Actually, that sounds pretty noble to me. And very much like Frank. It actually surprised the heck out of me that he jumped into bed with you the way he did. That was very much _not_ Frank."

"I know. I don't even really disagree with him. But… don't I at least get a say?"

"Yes, you do. And that is something that the two of you could work on. He's all," Bess lowered the pitch of her voice, " 'Nancy, let me protect you with my strong mind and stronger body,' and you're all, 'I have a mind of my own and can do my own protecting.' Neither of which is untrue, for either of you."

By this time Nancy was laughing so hard that she missed the end of what her friend had said. "What?" She asked while trying to catch her breath.

"My point is, don't let this wonderful, life-changing thing go just because of something that you guys can work through. Frank will respect you and your needs. You just need to talk to him about it."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. I'm meeting him for a coffee date later and hopefully we'll talk then."

"Besides, if I were you, I would let feminism go just a little bit so Frank could protect me once in a while. _So_ sexy."

"Bess!"

"Hey, it's true and you shouldn't even try to deny it. Make sure he knows your needs, but be aware that his needs require the opportunity to feel like a man around you once in a while. And _what_ a man…"

Nancy just laughed, knowing that she was in no danger of Bess trying to take Frank away from her. Bess just appreciated an attractive guy, which was something Nancy could understand. She also took to heart the advice buried in her friend's sense of humor.

"So tell me, has Joe hooked up with anyone since you've been back?"

"Actually, there is this one girl – " Nancy started, but Bess cut her off.

"Ugh, there are always girls around that boy."

"But, she turned him down. At least so far. I've never seen anything like it."

"You are kidding. Joe actually found the one girl who doesn't take his charm. I wish I was there to see it."

"Believe me, it's something to see. The funny thing is, I actually like her for him, if he could ever convince her again to go out with him."

"Again?" Bess asked, starting a whole conversation about the missed date debacle.

Once she hung up the phone with her dearest friend, Nancy's world made a little more sense and seemed a little brighter, the way only best friends can make it.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Hardy men were sitting in front of Chief Clarke's desk. When they tried to request a visit with Con they had been strictly denied, told that anyone wanting to see him had to go through the chief. Joe had been about to say a few choice words to the officer, but Fenton's firm hand on his shoulder had kept him biting his tongue.

Joe had never been in the office since Chief Clarke took over, so as his father reasoned with the man he let his eyes drift around the place. Seeing a picture frame on the desk, he was curious about who the hardened man would love enough to keep a constant reminder close to him.

"There is no ulterior motive here, chief. Con Riley has been one of my dearest friends for many years. He's been locked up in here with very little contact for over a week."

"I understand, Mr. Hardy, but there is no reason that this prisoner should be given any special treatment."

Fenton didn't buckle under the chief's hard stare. "He hasn't been convicted of any crimes. He deserves the same human rights as any other person. And surely, you wouldn't want it getting out that you were treating one of your own officers unfairly."

No one said anything for a beat. Joe felt the tension in the room mount until he had to do something. Freezing people out had never been one of his strengths. He was sitting close enough that the picture frame was within reach. Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed the frame and turned it so he could see the front.

Exclamations from all three men assaulted his ears within a second of his action. But that didn't distract him from the beautiful woman staring back at him. She had dark hair and eyes, and was standing next to a man that in another life could have been the chief.

"Oh, excuse me, sir," he said to the chief. "I just wanted to see the face of the woman that had captured your heart."

Joe watched Frank shoot him a strange look. He couldn't blame him – it was a strange thing to say. Unfortunately he couldn't really think of anything else, and he wasn't used to using his charm on a man.

"That would be my wife. Now please put it down. That frame came all the way from Colombia." A vein in Chief Clarke's neck bulged.

"She's beautiful, sir. You are a very lucky man. I bet the other officers are jealous."

Fenton interrupted before that line of conversation could be continued. "I apologize for my son's… audacity. Now, with your blessing, we are going to visit our old friend. I can't imagine any reason why that would be a difficult thing for you to approve. Unless, of course, there are other things at play, here."

It was the second time in as many weeks that Fenton Hardy had gotten the best of the police chief, and the scowling man knew it. He also knew that there was nothing he could do.

"Yes, fine. But you can visit for twenty minutes only." He shifted his glare to Joe. "Now get out of here before you break something."

Joe felt a little bit like a kid in a ceramics store, but he didn't let it bother him. He had distracted the chief enough to give into what they wanted, which was all that mattered.

* * *

**So... I haven't been hearing from as many people as I used to... I miss you guys! I miss responding to your reviews and having lively discussions about character motivations. Come back, please?**


	19. Chapter 19

**I planned to get this chapter up a week ago, and then I got hit with a bad cold. Seriously, I can't remember being so sick in years. I haven't gone to work in days. I know that should have given me more time to post, but all I had the brainpower to do was lie in bed and watch hulu. But, I'm feeling so much better! I edited this chapter today to make sure I was addressing some things that came up in reviews and I really like the way it turned out. See... reviews do have influence!**

**A double chocolate Magnum bar to the reviewers of Chapter 18: mereditholiver, Severedwasp, Inotia, Confidential Brunette, rangermaid, JackieJacks, leyapearl, Colie88, KennaC**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own many different kinds of decongestants...**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 19

Having finally convinced the chief to give them a chance to see Con, the three Hardy men were ushered into the prison area of the station and into a waiting room. The officer with whom they had originally spoken seemed less than thrilled to see them back, but he was powerless to deny them after an order from the chief permitted them to be there. A few minutes later and Con was escorted into the room, shuffling from the chains attached to his wrists and ankles.

"Innocent until proven guilty, huh Con?" Joe asked, rueful.

"That's what they teach at the academy. I think these officers need a refresher course. It's good to see you guys, but I hope you're not causing too much trouble."

"Please, would we do a thing like that?"

Con knew Joe well enough to shoot him a look and leave it at that. Fenton chuckled, heartened that Con was able to hold onto a sense of humor.

"I've got to say, I'm getting pretty fed up with the way this whole thing has gone down. It sure is a nice change to get out of that cell."

After exchanging some pleasantries, Frank knew that their time with Con was winding down and he wanted to ask him about Officer Reed.

"So, Con, there is one thing I wanted to ask you," Frank said carefully, looking around the stark room. He knew how much Con wanted them to stay out of it.

Con rolled his eyes but didn't restate his warning. "Sure."

"We have a lot of evidence pointing to someone you would know well." Frank knew that their entire conversation was being monitored. It wouldn't be good to tip anyone off because Frank hadn't been able to be subtle.

Con picked up on what he was trying to say. "I understand. Can you give me anything more than that?"

"He likes_ deer_ hunting," Joe piped up. Frank elbowed him, but didn't say anything else.

Con looked confused for a moment, but the backwards clue clicked and he nodded. "He's a little shady. I actually don't know him that well personally – I never really wanted to make the effort with that guy."

"We think he may have something to do with what put you in here, as well as that other instance from a few months ago."

Before Fenton finished talking, Con was already shaking his head. "No, not possible. I don't know him that well, but I do know that he hasn't murdered anyone. After a few decades at this, you can see the difference in someone's eyes."

Disappointed, Frank asked, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Besides, there's no way that he's the guy I saw going out the window that night. I'm not sure he would have fit through it – it was a pretty small opening."

"Time's up!" A man bellowed from the corner of the room.

Con sighed. "Back to the cell."

"I know how you feel about us being involved, but it's what we do. We're not giving up until you walk free and clear out of this place," Fenton said with conviction.

"I appreciate that, old friend," Con said as an officer grabbed his arm and led him out of the room. "Just be careful."

* * *

The Hardys left the station with their spirits low. At least Frank had one thing to look forward to.

"Hey, can you guys drop me at the coffee shop?"

"Of course, son. Let's all go. Maybe we can do some brainstorming there," Fenton said with a sly wink to Joe as he steered the car in that direction.

Frank squirmed. "Um, not exactly what I had in mind, Dad. Nancy and I have some things we need to discuss."

"Well, okay. Joe and I will just go sit at some other table then, I guess, if whatever you need to talk about is so private."

Frank groaned inwardly. It was as if his father was _trying_ to torture him. Joe, surprisingly, hadn't said a word. "Sure, Dad. That's fine."

He was definitely going to tell his parents that night, if Nancy was okay with it. Then maybe they'd get some privacy. It wasn't even about having a chance to be with her physically. He wanted the chance for the two of them to just… be. Be together.

Nancy was surprised to see three Hardy men instead of just one come through the door of the little shop. Frank shot her a defeated look.

"Look who decided they could also use a cup of coffee," he said unenthusiastically.

"Great," Nancy said, trying to sound nonchalant but coming much closer to matching Frank's tone.

Fenton could tell that Frank's spirits were down, and he had given him a hard time for long enough. He felt a smile grow on his face as he watched his son and Nancy together. It certainly was a long time coming.

"You know what? Why don't Joe and I go pick up some lunch somewhere else and bring it back?"

"Good idea, Dad," Joe chimed in. He hadn't been able to get Frank's cryptic comment from that morning out of his head. He was all for giving his brother a hard time, but the last thing he wanted was for him and Nancy to break up, breaking Frank's heart at the same time. He wasn't sure he could handle the months of moping, not to mention the torture of seeing his best friend in agony.

Frank looked up in surprise at his father. "Really?"

Fenton's smile deepened, and he had to stop himself from laughing at his son's eagerness. "Yes, of course. We'll be gone a good forty-five minutes, at least."

"Thanks," Frank said, eternally grateful.

Nancy had been watching the exchange with a small measure of confusion before deciding it was a Hardy thing. Fenton and Joe made a speedy exit from the small shop and she turned her attention to the guy standing in front of her. Frank slid into the chair across from Nancy's and rested his face on his hand.

"I'm really sorry. Having my father and my brother tag along was not what I had in mind when I asked you to coffee."

Nancy pushed the second coffee mug towards him. Just that small motion combined with the knowledge that she cared to know and remember how he took his coffee heartened Frank just enough.

"We need to tell them. Tonight. Even though this case isn't over, I don't think we should keep this to ourselves anymore. That is, if you still want to give us a shot." Frank said the second part looking down into the dark liquid, unable to meet her eyes if she was about to squash his heart.

The pressure of her small hand beneath his stubbled chin forced him to look up at her. "Of course I still want to be with you." She sighed. "I kind of have a hot temper sometimes."

Frank smiled softly at the girl across from him. "I am aware of that, yes."

"Then you should know that sometimes I say or do things without thinking them through first. I didn't actually mean that I don't want to be with you. I was just mad at you."

Relief swept through Frank. "Oh. Okay."

"But you need to understand that I don't like it when you just make decisions that affect both of us. We're a partnership, and I need to feel like half of it. Does that make sense?"

Frank grabbed her hand across the table. "Yes, absolutely. I never meant to make you feel that way."

"I know. And I completely overreacted." Nancy looked chagrined. "Can you forgive me?"

Frank caressed her fingers, before running his hand up to touch her cheek. "Already done. So we tell them tonight?"

Nancy matched his smile with her own. "Yes. And then we pack to move into your place. I love your parents, but I think it's time for us to cut the cord."

"I agree. Besides, my arm hardly bothers me anymore. Mom can't use that as an excuse for much longer."

Nancy suspected that it still hurt him more than he let on, but she didn't press him. Besides, if they were at his place it would be easier for her to look after him.

"What about… what you said before?" Nancy asked. She didn't really want to talk openly about sex in such a public setting, but if they were moving into together even short term it would complicate things.

Frank's hand lingered on her face for just a moment before he pulled it away and grasped his coffee mug.

"I don't know. I still feel really strongly about it. I want to do right by you, Nancy," he said, almost desperately.

Nancy looked at the strong, sensitive man sitting across from her and felt her heart melt a little more. His struggle over what to do was written all over his body, from the tension in his muscles to the pained expression on his face.

"Frank." Taking his hand in both of hers, she continued, "I understand why this is important to you."

He looked up to meet her blue gaze. "Really?"

"Yes. I thought a lot about it this morning. And, Bess helped a little." She didn't add that Bess openly mocked her. Frank didn't need to know that. "How about we see how it goes? If the moment takes us there, we let it happen. Otherwise, I'm fine sleeping on your couch until then. I just want to be with you."

"You're wonderful," Frank said, more in love with Nancy then he thought possible. "But, if anyone's on the couch, it's me. Though I don't think that's necessary. Surely we can control ourselves sleeping next to each other."

They exchanged grins, knowing that that probably wouldn't be true, but both willing to take that chance.

"Come here," Frank murmured, reaching out to pull Nancy toward him, tangling his fingers in her hair.

Nancy sighed, happily closing the small distance between them before Frank's lips brushed against hers. She squeezed the hand that she was still holding, reveling in the warmth of his skin.

Frank pressed gently against the back of her neck, bringing her closer so he could kiss her more thoroughly. He opened his mouth, rubbing his lips against her soft mouth. Nancy pushed back against him.

Frank playfully pulled at her bottom lip, feeling Nancy smile into their kiss. Slowly, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, seeking hers. He felt a rush go through him as she allowed it, meeting him eagerly.

Just as he was about to pick up the pace, feeling like he might explode from the sensations if he didn't do something more, Nancy pulled back.

She smiled at him sheepishly. "Um, we're in public."

Frank looked around, remembering that they were, in fact, still in the coffee shop. A group of teenage girls were trying to pretend they weren't watching, while an elderly woman openly stared with a frown on her face.

Nancy laughed. "Now that we've got that all figured out, do you want to call your dad? We might as well get some work done on the case."

Just then the bell above the door chimed. She looked up to see Fenton and Joe enter the shop, bags from a local deli in hand.

"Everything okay over here?" Joe asked carefully. He was genuinely worried about them. No two people were better suited for each other than Frank and Nancy. If they couldn't make it work, then he probably had to rethink his belief in love. Although with how things had gone down with Vanessa, the one girl that had intrigued him enough to start caring, he was probably rethinking that anyway.

Frank and Nancy smiled at each other. "Everything's fine, Joe," Frank answered him. "Pull up a seat and let's solve this case."

After rehashing what they knew so far, Frank filled Nancy in on what Con had told them about Officer Reed.

Nancy frowned. "Dang, and he looked so good for both murders."

"Just because he didn't pull the trigger doesn't mean that he isn't still involved. It's actually pretty clear that he is," Frank said.

The door dinged behind him, but he didn't really notice. People had been coming and going for the last half hour. Whoever it was had caught Joe's attention, though. Frank reasoned that it was probably just some pretty girl and Joe would check back in once the girl had ordered and left the shop.

"If only we had a way to see inside that house," Fenton mused, echoing Nancy's earlier thoughts. "Or even a way to go to the door and see who answered."

"I could always pose as a cable guy," Frank said.

"The people around the station know you," Nancy reasoned. "We can't take that chance if it's someone from there."

"I could help," a quiet voice said behind them. Joe's eyes still hadn't moved from whoever had come into the store.

Frank and Nancy turned around to see a tall blond girl standing there awkwardly, her blue gaze locked with Joe's.

"I did what you said. I read all about what your family does, and I can handle it. In fact, I think I can help you."

Nancy didn't think she'd ever seen such a sweet, sincere smile break out across the youngest Hardy's face.

* * *

**I soooo loved hearing from so many people last time around! Thank you! Please keep reviewing, it makes my days happier :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Things are starting to pick up...**

**Endless love to the reviewers of chapter 19: mereditholiver, KennaC, JackieJacks, Colie88, rangermaid, Confidential Brunette, Smithy, Narniafan96, leyapearl**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own over a hundred young adult novels and the bookshelf to hold them all.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 20

Fenton didn't miss a beat.

"I'm not exactly sure who you are, but why don't you take a seat? We welcome anyone with good ideas. Or even mediocre ideas, since that's the category that most of ours fit in."

Joe quickly stood up to pull over another chair for the girl. "Dad, this is Vanessa. Vanessa, this is my dad, Fenton Hardy. That's my brother Frank. You probably remember Nancy."

Nancy smiled. "It's good to see you again, Vanessa."

Quickly returning to business, Frank asked, "So how could you help us? Did Joe fill you in on what we're working on?" Frank wasn't thrilled at the prospect of Joe spilling the beans to a pretty girl, but it wouldn't have been the first time. He shot Joe a look, but all he did was glare back at him.

Vanessa didn't pick up on the tension between the two brothers. "No, Joe didn't tell me anything. In fact, he refused, which was why I wouldn't meet him again. I just know that you must be working on some sort of case, and I overheard one of you saying that you needed a good reason to go to the door of someone's house."

"And?" Nancy asked, not unkindly. There were a lot of potential covers they could use for such an issue, but all of them came with problems of some sort to be worked through.

"We can use my flower van. I'll deliver flowers to the house and wear a camera or whatever, giving you guys the chance to see inside."

The four detectives looked at each other, exchanging a silent conversation. Fenton was the one who finally spoke.

"That's actually not a bad idea, Vanessa."

"But," Joe interrupted, "there's no way that we'd let you be the one to go to the door. It's just not safe, considering what's happened to some other people involved in this case."

"I don't know, Joe, no one knows her around here."

Vanessa sat up a little straighter. "I'm not afraid. No one would connect me with you."

Nancy watched as Frank reasoned it out in his head while Joe's face darkened. She decided to be the tiebreaker, since Fenton wasn't saying anything.

Shooting Frank an apologetic look, Nancy said, "Joe's right. You're not trained for dangerous situations, and we can't risk a civilian." Seeing Vanessa's disappointed look, she added quickly, "But it is a really good idea. Would you be willing to let me drive your van instead? No one really knows me either, and I'm used to doing covert things."

"There's a higher probability that someone would recognize you from being with us, Nancy," Frank argued.

"Not much," Joe interjected. "And I'm not willing to risk her safety."

"Fair enough, Joe. Nancy will be the one to do it. That is, if it's okay with you, Vanessa," Frank said, relenting.

"Yes, of course," she agreed. "Anything to help you guys out."

"You're amazing," Joe said before he could check himself. Vanessa blushed a deep red, but said a quiet thank you.

Right as Nancy was about to make some comment to get them back on track, Fenton's phone rang. He excused himself to answer it. Within seconds he returned, a determined look on his face.

"Any chance we'd be able to use that van this afternoon?"

"What happened?" Frank asked his father.

"That was Mrs. Reed. She has reason to believe that her husband is meeting up with a woman this afternoon. She says she found a text message on his phone this morning while he was in the shower."

"Wow, nosy woman," Joe commented. Seeing the looks of the people surrounding him, he added, "Well, obviously I'm happy for the lead, but come on, phone snooping?"

Nancy shook her head instead of answering. "Do you guys have camera technology ready to go? If we had more time I could get some from D.C., but I won't be able to do it this quickly."

"No worries, Nan, we're all set up," Frank assured her. "But we should get back home and start prepping now."

"What do you want me to do?" Vanessa asked. The others had temporarily forgotten that while being the lynchpin to the whole operation, she was a newbie.

"Bring the van, a uniform, and some flowers to deliver over to our house," Fenton told her, writing down the address on a napkin. "And if possible, do it soon."

Vanessa stood up. "Of course. I'll go prepare right now."

"Why don't I go with you?" Joe asked. "That way there's no chance of you getting lost on the way to my parents' house."

Nancy, Frank, and Fenton exchanged a look and a smile, but Fenton nodded his agreement. "Good idea."

* * *

"Look, I'm really sorry about the rude things I said to you," Vanessa said as she and Joe crossed the street to the flower shop.

"Don't even think twice about it. I was a jerk to you before I even stood you up. I deserved what you said."

Joe held the door of the shop open for her and Vanessa began grabbing the things that Fenton requested.

"We don't really have a uniform, but I do have an apron and a visor with the store name on them. Will that work?" she asked Joe.

Joe took a moment to picture the look on Nancy's face when he told her that she had to wear a visor. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Oh yeah, that'll work."

"Great," she said, never slowing down in her search for useful things. She was about to start grabbing a couple bouquets of flowers for delivering when Joe grabbed her hand, stilling her movement.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything's fine." She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Look, it's okay to be scared. But you'll be with me the whole time, several houses away. I won't let anything happen to you."

Finally Vanessa met Joe's blue eyes with her own. "I know. I believe you."

"And after this stake out is all over tonight, I'm going to take you to ice cream."

That familiar spark that Joe had been missing came back into Vanessa's eyes. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. And then I'll tell you all about why you should fall for me."

She laughed. "I'm looking forward to it, Casanova."

* * *

Joe had been right – seeing Nancy's face was priceless.

"You want me to wear a what?"

"It's just a visor," Vanessa said apologetically. "You know, like tennis players wear?"

"You know," Joe added, "Like a baseball hat but with no middle?"

Nancy scowled at the youngest Hardy. "I know what it is, thanks."

"What what is?" Frank asked, coming up the stairs from the basement.

"Don't worry about it," Nancy said, slipping the apron over her head. She would save the visor for when she got into the delivery van.

"Well Nan, I hope you don't mind going patriotic today," Frank said as he fiddled with something in his hands.

"Um, no?" She said, confused.

Frank held out a little American flag pin. In it was a tiny hole, for an even tinier camera lens.

"Wow, that's almost as good as the gadgets that we've got. Well done, Frank."

He smiled. "Thanks."

Carefully pulling on the collar of her shirt, he attached the pin to her clothing. Even though his hand barely brushed her skin, and that skin wasn't even all that private to begin with, Nancy still felt a shiver go down her spine. Frank must have noticed because he grinned at her, briefly stroking her neck as he removed his hand. Then he gave her a small ear com to wear that would allow them to communicate.

"Are we all ready to go?" Fenton asked, coming down the stairs. He had changed into more comfortable clothing than what he had worn to the police station.

"Absolutely," Nancy said, answering for all of them.

"But we are not taking Joe's car again," Frank added. There was no way that four people would be able to fit in that tiny vehicle, three of them men.

"No problem, we'll take mine," Fenton agreed. "Nancy, give us about twenty minutes of lead time to get into position."

Within minutes Nancy found herself sitting alone in the Hardy living room, listening to the clock tick. She wasn't used to being the one left behind, even if there was a good reason for it. Even though she knew the Hardy family almost as well as her own, she still fought the overwhelming temptation to snoop. Holding her hands still on her lap, she refused to let herself move from her spot. Finally enough time passed that she was allowed to get going.

Just as she was leaving the house, a voice said in her ear, "Okay Drew, come on over."

"On my way," she responded. "Does it look like Reed is there?"

"We can't tell, especially since last time he arrived on foot."

"I guess I'll find out," she said as she started up the van and left the driveway. Nancy's blood coursed through her veins. Field work was what she lived for. She felt no nerves, only adrenaline, even on something as small a delivery.

Nancy didn't even glance at the Hardys' car as she drove down the street to the house they were staking out.

As she pulled up to the curb in front of the house, Frank said, "Okay, we've got video and audio. Go work your magic and let's pray that someone actually answers that door."

Confidently, Nancy pulled out a bouquet of roses and started up the concrete steps. She noticed that the house looked a lot nicer up close. There were a lot of small details that spoke to the class of the people living inside. She spent only a couple of seconds turning around to get a panoramic view of the doorway on the camera. She knew that one could never get too much information.

Once she had rung the bell, she also knocked a couple of times on the large wooden door. No one answered. She knocked again, waiting.

Frank sighed in her ear. "This is probably a bust. We can try again in an hour. Go ahead and go home."

Nancy turned around to start back down the steps when the door opened behind her. Whirling, she took in the pleasant face of the woman who had come to the door.

"Flower delivery!" she said brightly, maintaining her cover while trying to see around the woman.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise." A hint of an accent colored her voice.

"I know, everyone loves getting flowers!"

"That is probably true," the woman agreed.

Nancy tried not to get distracted when she heard Joe's voice in her ear, talking to himself. "I know that face somehow, I just can't remember…"

She wanted to suggest that all the Hardys work on their facial recognition skills, since it seemed that neither he nor Frank could recall a face very quickly. As Nancy was thinking this, the smile never dimmed on her face.

"Actually, I've been delivering for a while," Nancy said. Leaning in closer, she continued. "Would it be possible to use your bathroom? My boss would be so mad if she knew I even asked."

The woman's face hardened just a little. "I don't think so, I'm sorry."

But before she could begin to close the door, Nancy said, "I really think I might pee my pants. I had one of those monster sized drinks. I really have to go."

The door opened about an inch wider, showing the woman's acquiescence. Before she had a chance to say anything, Nancy pushed her way past the woman and into the foyer. She heard the woman direct her to the left, so she quickly found the bathroom to stay in character.

"Damn," Joe said, surprising her. "Nancy, you've got to get out of there now."

"What? Why?" she asked quietly. "I'm inside the house. If I ask for a drink of water I might be able to get a better look around."

Joe sounded urgent. "This isn't just any house. That woman? I remember where I've seen her before. She was in the picture on the chief's desk." He paused. "Nancy, it's his wife."

* * *

**Anyone catch the homage to The Italian Job? You are all beautiful people. I'd love to tell you individually. Review so I can and we can be friends!**


	21. Chapter 21

**This chapter is a little shorter, but we're approaching the end...**

**Chocolate pudding to the reviewers of chapter 19: mereditholiver, KennaC, JackieJacks, Confidential Brunette, leyapearl, rangermaid, Mrs. Frank Hardy**

**I've been asked if people can do pictures or other art depicting parts of my story. My answer - Absolutely yes! But if you are planning to post it somewhere, I would ask two things - you show me the finished product so I can acknowledge you, and that you somehow acknowledge me or link back to this story. I'm excited to see what any of you come up with! **

**Oh, and the Italian Job homage was Frank giving Nancy an American flag camera pin and telling her she was "going patriotic" :)  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I am a new owner of DirectTV and DVR. Still getting used to it...**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 21

Nancy sat down hard on the edge of the tub. Learning she was currently inside Chief Clarke's house was not something she was expecting. She didn't panic – her training had taught her better than that – but she knew her next move required some strategizing. No matter what Joe said, this was an opportunity not to be missed.

"Nancy, Joe's right. This is not something we were prepared for. Just get out of there. We can come up with another plan tonight," Frank said, his voice strained.

"Sorry guys, but this is our one shot to really get a chance to investigate. I see no reason to pull out now. I'm fine."

"I think she's right," Fenton said, "objectively speaking. But only if you're comfortable with this."

"Of course," Nancy said, trying not to scoff. "I've been in far more dire situations than this. And that's not including my time with the CIA."

She heard Frank humph in her ear, but she ignored him. "I'm going to ask her for a drink of water, maybe get lost on the way to the kitchen."

"Okay. Be careful," Fenton said.

Nancy flushed the toilet and washed her hands for good measure before slipping open the door as quietly as possible. Looking down the hallway, she could clearly see the way to the living room, making her getting lost story a little less believable. She turned in the other direction, anyway.

All of the doors were closed. The first one she came to seemed to be some kind of guest room. She quickly left and turned to the door opposite. Turning the nob, she found that the light was already on in a home office of sorts.

Moving fast, she approached the other side of the desk to take a look through some files left open. Flipping through the papers, Nancy saw something that made her muscles freeze up.

"Joe, where did you say she was from?" she whispered.

"I didn't," he said.

"Colombia," Frank answered instead. "At least, that's where the very delicate picture frame was from. Why?"

"Are you getting a clear picture of these papers?" She asked him instead of answering.

"Yes, but I'm not sure what I'm seeing."

"I recognize these images from something the CIA recently sent me. I was going to mention it once we were finished with this case. I didn't dream that they'd be related."

"Nancy, out with it," Joe said, impatient.

"Drugs. This woman is part of a Colombian drug cartel. They've been bringing in crack cocaine through the ports along the coast and smuggling them down to New York City."

There was a brief silence on the other side of the communication system.

"Okay, now you really have to get out of there," Frank said, breaking the pause. "This is way bigger than some small town murder investigation."

"I know. Believe me, even I'm not stupid enough to mess with Colombians without proper backup."

Joe started to scoff at being deemed inadequate, but Frank shushed him.

After making sure that everything was back the way she found it, Nancy hurried out the door and closed it behind her. Just as she turned to face the hallway, Mrs. Clarke came around the corner. The woman froze, eyeing the door behind Nancy.

"Is everything all right?" she asked carefully.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Nancy bubbled. "I was looking for the kitchen hoping to score a glass of water and I got completely turned around. This is a beautiful house, by the way."

Mrs. Clarke didn't say anything for a moment, instead she kept looking at Nancy with her sharp gaze.

"Nothing to worry about. Come, I'll take you to the kitchen." She turned and beckoned Nancy to follow her.

"Oh, it's okay. I really need to get going. Lots more deliveries, you know."

"No, I must insist. I will be offended if you do not partake of my hospitality."

Nancy wondered if the woman was trying to crack a joke, but there was always the chance that she was being deadly serious – deadly being the key word. Left with no choice, Nancy followed Mrs. Clarke down the hallway and into the living room. The kitchen opened up to the side of the room. But Nancy didn't take the time to process that, because who she saw sitting on the couch was much more startling.

"Is that?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, that's the shadow man," Frank said grimly.

Now that Nancy was seeing him up close, his features looked vaguely Colombian also, though not nearly as pronounced as in Mrs. Clarke.

"This is my younger brother, Marco," she said as she continued into the kitchen to fetch Nancy a glass. "And my name is Maria."

Returning, she handed her the full glass and said, "Why don't you sit down and get to know him? I have something I need to check on."

Nancy felt a strong hand with sharp fingernails push down on her shoulder until she sat on the couch across from Marco.

"Oh, damn," Frank said. "I think you've been made, Nancy. Get out, now!"

Nancy shook her head, even as she realized that they wouldn't be able to see it. Unless she tried to dash out of the probably-locked door, she didn't have a way out of this situation.

Fenton's voice in her head calmed her, saying, "Okay, let's think this through. Mrs. Clarke is heading up a drug cartel. Reed is clearly part of it. Obviously the chief is a plant to help everything run smoothly, husband or no. What about this Marco guy?"

"He's the killer," Joe said quietly.

"How do you know?" Vanessa asked. It was the first time Nancy had heard the girl speak the entire time she'd been in the house.

"It's the eyes," was all he said.

Nancy agreed. Marco hadn't said anything to her. He sat and stared at her, not menacing, not friendly. Just blank. He was the one who got rid of anyone who got in the way. She sipped her water to have an excuse to look away.

"Besides the eyes," Frank added, "It just makes sense. There's a reason we've been calling him the shadow man. He stays under the radar to do the dirty work."

Before they could do any more brainstorming, Nancy's heart picked up a notch when she saw Marco's eyes leave her face and focus on something behind her.

"Why don't you tell me who you really are?" An icy voice asked.

Nancy spun around in her seat. Maria was back and any pretense of hospitality was gone.

"I'm not sure what you mean! I'm Jodi, and I deliver flowers. Look, whoever you are, I am going to get fired if I don't finish those deliveries." Nancy stood up and started heading for the entryway.

Before she had a chance to move three feet a hand was at her neck and she was held tightly against a small but strong male body.

Maria took a step forward. "That was strike one. You can guess what happens when we get to three. So I'll ask again. Who are you, and who sent you?"

Nancy clamped her mouth shut and glared at the woman. There was no reason to keep lying, and she wasn't about to tell her the truth. She could have stomped on the man's foot or elbowed him in the gut, but she was outnumbered and unarmed. She decided instead to see how it played out.

The voices in her head, on the other hand, were less than calm.

"Shit, we have got to do something," Frank said, borderline frantic.

"Calm down, Frank," Fenton said. "We'll get her out of there."

"I've got to get in there. I'll pretend I'm someone else," Frank said, ignoring his father.

"No!" Nancy exclaimed, hoping that Frank understood that her command was for him.

"No, what?" Maria said, misunderstanding.

Or at least, that's what Nancy thought until the woman got within inches of her face and studied her. Then she pulled hard on Nancy's ear until she could dig out the com. Nancy tried to breathe through the pain of fingernails cutting through the thin flesh of her ear. The next thing to go was the flag pin attached to her shirt.

Holding the com up to her face, Maria whispered, "Whoever you are, you are going to sorely regret this. Once I torture this girl for all the information she holds in that pretty little head of hers, you will never see her again. Then I'll come after you."

Then she threw both the com and the pin on the floor and stomped on them with her spiked heel until they broke.

* * *

**Oh dear... Small cliffie! Reviews are love :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the cliffhanger! Thanks for sticking with me... :) Has anyone put together the double meaning of the title? **

**A million thank yous to the reviewers of Chapter 21: mereditholiver, *blank*, KennaC, JackieJacks, leyapearl, Colie88**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own several jigsaw puzzles.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 22

"She's gone."

Joe checked the equipment again to be sure. "We've lost audio, video, and any way to communicate with her."

For Frank, everything had gone very still inside his head. He sat there quietly, flicking through the options he had in his head.

Joe found his brother's silence disconcerting. If anything, he thought he'd have to lock him in the car to keep him from storming the place.

"Frank, buddy, you okay in there?" he prodded, nudging his shoulder.

"No," he said flatly. "But Nancy is worse."

"We can't go in that house, Frank," Fenton said. "It would probably just get her killed sooner."

"How much time do we have?" Joe asked.

Frank didn't want to think about what Joe was really asking, but he couldn't stop himself. How much could Nancy take? How long until they broke her and she told the Colombians everything they wanted to know? He knew that being a trained field agent of the CIA would help her greatly, but there was only so much pain a person could handle.

He shoved his hands in his hair, unable to handle the thought of Nancy being tortured.

"I don't know," he finally answered. "An hour. Maybe two. I know she has a high threshold for pain, but I don't know what they're going to do to her." The last part slipped out as a whisper.

"This might be a dumb suggestion," a quiet voice said. All three men turned to look at Vanessa. In the recent panic, they had forgotten that she was even in the car. "Can't we just call the police? An anonymous tip that something very bad is going on inside that house?"

Frank was already shaking his head, though Joe was the one to answer her. "Officer Reed. He's in on it, and he's senior enough to be able to manage any distress calls involving this area. Besides, he might already be on his way here for his meeting."

"What about her agency?" Fenton asked. "There must be some CIA agents in the area that could get in there more safely than we could."

"I wouldn't even know who to call," Joe said. "We already talked about how she hasn't said much about her job since she's been here."

"Remember how I said I'd helped her get set up for work sometimes? I think I might be able to track down some people in her team. I'd have to go into her private things," Fenton said.

"Fine, whatever," Frank agreed hastily. "I don't think she'll mind, under the circumstances.

"What about us?" Joe asked. "What are we going to do?"

As Fenton and Joe had been talking, Frank had been doing a little brainstorming of his own.

"We're going to pay Officer Jackson a visit."

* * *

When Nancy woke up, she slowly opened her eyes to find that she was in some back room with only one small window. Her hands and feet were tied to the chair she sat in.

Her head pounded. After Maria had destroyed her camera and com, she'd decided that the best course of action was to struggle. She managed to knock Marco backwards enough to get free, but before she'd gotten very far something had hit her hard on the side of her head. Everything had gone black after that.

Judging by the light coming from the window, she didn't think she'd been out for very long. Her body generally dealt with a shock like that pretty well. It'd had a lot of practice over the last few years.

"She's awake," a voice said. She lifted her eyes to see Marco eyeing her, a knife twirling between his fingers.

"Good," Maria said, coming into the room. "So, tell me who you are and who you work for and this will be mostly painless for you."

Nancy didn't say anything. Keeping her mouth shut still seemed like her only option.

Maria waited a beat before shaking her head sadly. "Strike two. Try again. This time, make it count."

Nancy remained silent.

Until pain shot through her body. Every muscle in her tensed up, squeezing and convulsing. Her back arched off the chair, but being tied to it forced her to remain in place.

Finally it stopped, and she sagged against the chair, breathing hard. A groan escaped her lips with one exhale. She realized that she was hooked up to some taser-type machine, and she had just experienced a bolt of electricity running through her body. She wasn't sure which would be worse – what she just felt or Marco and his knife.

"Well, we got one sound out of you," Maria said, watching with the detachment of a scientist. "It's a start."

Nancy braced herself for more pain. The worst part had been the surprise, she told herself. Now that she knew what it was like she could handle it.

"Do you have anything to share with us?" Maria asked.

Nancy didn't respond, didn't even move her head. She just stared down the older woman. She wouldn't talk. She would die first.

Then the pain came again.

* * *

"Frank where are we going?"

Fenton had driven them all back home so they could divide and conquer. He planned to go through Nancy's things to find contact information for the CIA while Frank had told Joe he needed his help with something else.

Joe had just dropped off Vanessa with the promise of a call once everything was all over. Now he wanted to know what exactly Frank had in mind.

"I told you, to find Officer Jackson."

"Do you know where exactly to find him?"

"I do. We're actually going back to that coffee shop, so you might as well just park."

"How are you getting him here?"

"Believe me, he'll come," Frank said darkly.

Joe shivered from the unfamiliar tone in his brother's voice. He wasn't sure what was going on inside Frank's head, but he had passed devastation about ten minutes previously. Now he just seemed vengeful.

Just after they had settled inside with some coffee, Officer Jackson stepped into the small shop. After spotting Frank, he made a beeline for their table, looking anxious.

"What are you going to do to my mother?" He asked, breathless.

Joe turned to stare at his brother with his jaw hanging open. He couldn't believe that Frank would follow through with a threat like that, but he wasn't acting exactly stable.

"Nothing. If you help me."

"Anything." The younger man sagged into a chair. "I've had enough threats against her lately, I can't handle another."

Frank didn't bother to think about that implication. "We need you to gather every trustworthy officer on the force. _Not_ Officer Reed, or anyone close to him. We know where the killer is, and he's got a hostage. If we move quickly we can stop him from killing again."

Officer Jackson blinked at Frank, taking in all the information he had just poured out. "How exactly do you expect me to do that?"

Frank rose up halfway out of his chair. "I don't care. But if you don't, she'll die, and it'll be on you."

Jackson sat there quietly for a moment. "Okay. I can do this. Just tell me where and I can get backup. It'll take me a little bit of time, though."

"She doesn't have much time," Joe said quietly, before his brother could explode.

The boy took in a quick breath. "I'll move as fast as I can."

After he left, Joe turned to his brother and studied him for a moment. "What exactly did you threaten him with?"

"It's not important," Frank said. After the confrontation with Jackson the fight seemed to have left his body.

"His mother?"

"I wouldn't have actually done anything. You know that."

Joe stood up to leave instead of answering. He wanted to believe that Frank knew himself well enough to make such a statement, but he wasn't sure he trusted his brother just then.

* * *

Nancy was sprawled on the floor. Kind of. In one of the fits the taser put her body through her spasming muscles had knocked the chair over, taking her with it. Neither Marco or Maria had bothered to set her back upright.

"I'm impressed. For one so small and young you are handling this remarkably well," Maria said, pacing the room.

Nancy closed her eyes.

"But I'm not worried. They always break eventually."

* * *

Frank, Joe, and Fenton rendezvoused in the same spot down the street where their car had been parked an hour earlier.

"I was able to get in touch with someone. It took much longer to get anyone to listen to me," Fenton was saying to Frank.

"Officer Jackson should be getting some people over here soon. I'm a little worried that it will leak to Reed, though."

"It's a chance we had to take."

"Hey guys," Joe said, but Frank ignored him.

"I'm impressed with how logically you've been able to handle this, son. I was worried we'd have to restrain you."

Frank chuckled without humor. "Like that would help anything. Besides, I'm not the impulsive one." He nodded his head at Joe. Maybe the dig wasn't fair, but he needed to think of something, anything besides Nancy.

"Agents should be here within the hour. We got lucky – there were a few people working a different mission not far from here. They were ordered to abort and come to Nancy's aid as soon as possible."

"Hey guys," Joe said again, louder.

"What, Joe?" Frank asked angrily. "We're talking."

Joe was taken aback by his brother's malice. He knew that he was having a rough time and close to breaking, but Frank was not the mean person this situation had turned him into.

"I just thought you'd want to know that there are some people coming down the street, but whatever, my mistake."

Frank instantly sobered. "Joe, look – "

"No worries!" Joe said brightly. "I shouldn't have stepped out of my role as comedic relief and interrupted the real brains of the group. I won't make that mistake again."

As a couple of cars approached them, Joe got out of the car to meet them. He instantly regretted the words he'd said to Frank, but as hard as he tried he couldn't deny how true they felt.

Frank scrambled out of the car after him. "Joe, wait. I'm sorry."

"Not the time Frank. Looks like reinforcements just got here. It's time to save your girlfriend's life."

* * *

**Do they get to her in time? I love hearing from you! Please review :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**I apologize for being late - my norm lately has been posting on Thursdays, but yesterday I had six hours of parent-teacher conferences after school. It was just about as fun as it sounds :) **

**Chocolate covered macadamian nuts to those who have reviewed since the last update: Colie88, KennaC, mereditholiver, Inotia, Mrs. Frank Hardy, leyapearl, rangermaid, JackieJacks, Angelvie S, SnowPrincess88**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own three microwaves and a toaster.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 23

Frank felt antsy.

He had a million emotions running through his mind and body – nauseating fear for Nancy's life, impatience that no one had done anything yet, crippling guilt for what had just happened between him and Joe. Joe was his brother, his best friend, his confidant, his greatest ally and the one who could push his buttons the most.

Frank couldn't remember the last time when Joe had looked so betrayed. It was as if he had believed so completely in Frank, trusted him with something important, and he had just destroyed it. Joe was hiding it well – probably for Frank's sake. Joe always did feel things deeper, rawer. Because of this he understood people, understood his brother. Understood that Frank couldn't handle their issues just then, so close to the breaking point.

It almost made him feel worse.

He couldn't dwell on it just then.

A handful of agents from the CIA had covertly converged a few houses down from where Nancy was being held. They were currently strategizing and waiting for the local police to show up. They probably could have just burst into the house, but they didn't want to put Nancy in more danger, forcing the captors' hands into killing her on the spot.

Also – and Frank knew how rare this was – they understood the sensitivity of the ongoing murder investigation. After listening to the Hardys' story they were willing to handle the infiltration carefully and with the police involved to hopefully be able to bring the case against Con to a close.

Frank sat down on a curb and shoved his hands into his hair. He massaged the sore spot at the top of his neck, trying to relieve some of the tension pounding through his head. Joe was currently conversing quietly with one of the agents, and though Frank desperately wanted to talk to him, he wasn't sure he was in a frame of mind to make things much better.

"Who is that?" Frank heard a low voice ask.

He looked up to see a man strolling down the sidewalk from the other direction. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the small cluster of people halfway down the block, instead walking up to the Clarke house and letting himself inside.

"That was Officer Reed," he answered them.

Frank's anxiety kicked up a notch. Now there would be one more person inside the house to deal with. Reed might not be a murderer, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do other unspeakable things.

"This is a good thing, Frank," Fenton said. Frank felt his father's warm hand rest reassuringly on his shoulder. "Now we can catch him in the act, too."

It may not have been the best choice of words. Frank's stomach bottomed out as he tried not to contemplate what Reed would be in the act of.

Fenton noticed the sick expression on his son's face, but before he could correct himself a new wave of people appeared around the gathering. These men were all in police uniform, with Officer Jackson at the front.

After a quick rendezvous and exchange of plans, the men started gearing up to break into the house. Frank stood and reached for a vest to join them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jackson asked when he saw what Frank was up to.

"I'm going inside that house with you," Frank answered calmly.

"No way. That would be breaking all kinds of rules. Give me that vest back."

Frank shrugged and started to hand it over. "Fine. But I'm going in there with or without your support and gear. You can't stop me."

Officer Jackson opened his mouth to argue some more, but Joe caught his eye and silently shook his head. He knew that nothing would change his brother's mind, and he really preferred that he not get shot fatally this time.

"Fine," Jackson said reluctantly. "But stay in the back."

Frank rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he was a novice in these types of situations, but he let the younger boy tell him what to do. It meant he had permission to get to Nancy.

* * *

Nancy was exhausted.

That was a bit of an understatement. She may have lost consciousness at some point. She wasn't sure how long she'd been tied to that chair or how many times they'd zapped her. She stopped counting. It seemed that they couldn't make the intensity any worse, only run it for longer.

She discovered that after a while, her mind went to a whole other place. Frank was there. So was her other friends and family. There were all sitting on a beach and watching the sun rise. Frank's arm was around her shoulders and nobody said anything or cared. She leaned into him, happy.

A door closed somewhere in the house, slamming her back into reality. She cracked an eye open to see Officer Reed enter the small room, filling up the space with his weight.

"What happened?" He asked Maria, clearly a little shocked and astounded. He certainly hadn't been expecting to find someone tied up.

"This girl was spying on us. She knows something, and she has a partner. I am trying to get her to talk, but her tolerance is impressive."

Officer Reed didn't say anything at first. He crossed the short distance and fumbled with Nancy's chair. Slowly he pulled the chair and Nancy with it into a regular sitting position. Then he disconnected the wires that held her chained to the machine. She barely allowed a kernel of hope to spring up inside her. Maybe he wasn't the monster she thought. Maybe he would help her out of this situation.

"I'm telling you," he finally said, "this new technology is just not as good as everyone thinks. Marco?"

The guy looked up from where he had been carving a popsicle stick with his knife but didn't say anything.

"Your turn."

* * *

Frank was suited up and ready to go.

In the end, they had allowed Joe to participate as well. Fenton opted to stay out of it and keep an eye on things from the sidewalk. His storming days were mostly over.

Frank stayed mostly back as he was told as the agents and officers crept around the house. They peered in windows to try to get a sense of where Nancy might be before they went bursting in, but they didn't see anyone inside. A couple of the windows had the blinds drawn, so it was possible that she was behind one of those.

Frank crouched behind an officer at the front door, waiting for the signal to burst in. They would be entering the house from three different spots, hoping to find Nancy as soon as possible and cut off any exits.

He heard the officer in front of him quietly whisper, "One. Two. Three – "

* * *

Fear replaced hope in Nancy's heart.

The pain she could deal with, especially once she realized that it wasn't going to get much worse. Injury and loss of blood would make things much more difficult.

Officer Reed moved out of the way and stood next to Maria, wrapping an arm around her waist. Nancy barely registered that he must have actually been cheating on his wife.

Marco stood up and slowly approached her, his knife gleaming from the light of the single bulb in the room. Nancy forced herself to keep her eyes open, keep watching, so she would know what to expect. She knew she already had blood on her ear and neck from Maria's fingernails.

Marco finally spoke. "You have such delicate hands for the kind of work that you do." He walked behind her, trailing the knife along the skin of her arm down to her hand as he went. Nancy felt a long shallow cut open up, felt the sting and warmth of blood welling.

"I could start with fingers," he mused. "For every minute that you don't talk, you lose one."

Nancy tried hard not to react. Any reaction would only egg him on further, though the thought of getting anything cut off made her want to scream.

The knife ran up her other arm to her shoulder. More blood, more pain. She still didn't believe it to be deep. He didn't want her dead. Yet.

"Or your nose. You wouldn't be quite the pretty little thing without your nose."

Nancy took in a breath and eyed him, mouth clamped shut. She would not endanger her friends and family, not for anything. She knew that as soon as she said anything she would die and they would be on their way to hurt the ones she loved most.

Marco held the knife an inch away from her face and leaned in close. "Talk!" he screamed.

The blade moved in closer, and Nancy closed her eyes in reaction.

"Police!"

"CIA!"

"Get down, drop your weapons!"

The blade disappeared, and Nancy feared it would be slammed into her as a last ditch effort for them to cut their losses. The trio seemed frantic, with Maria clawing at Officer Reed as he turned himself around looking for a way out. There was only one window, and it was small.

Marco wasted no time. He boosted the pane and popped out the screen, disappearing just before men streamed into the room.

Nancy sagged against the chair, allowing the fight in her to leave her body. She didn't have to battle the pain anymore. Blood ran down her arms, gathering in a small puddle on the floor under her hands.

She checked out from the activity around her, not caring or worrying about the fight that Maria was putting up, or how eventually someone wrestled Officer Reed to the floor. She was no longer involved. No longer had to worry. She looked up only once, just in time to see wide blue eyes catch her own.

"Frank! In here!" Joe called, rushing forward. He had to climb around the scuffle to get to her.

"Marco went out the window," was the only thing she could think to say. Her head lolled and she found she didn't have the energy to lift it back up.

"It's fine," he reassured her. "I'm sure someone nabbed him. Let's get you out of here, okay? Stay with me, Drew."

"Nancy," Frank breathed when he rushed through the door. What he saw made his heart freeze. The woman he loved was tied to a chair, bloody, and looked to be unconscious. He thought he would die standing right there.

"Come on, Frank," Joe said. "She's alive. She was just talking to me a minute ago, but we've got to get her help."

Frank shook himself from his horrified stupor and scrambled over to them. He started going to work cutting the ties at her ankles, not letting himself think about the raw skin he found underneath the rough rope.

Nancy found the strength to lift her head and look at Frank in front of her. He noticed her movement and caught her face with his hand, supporting her as she opened her eyes to look at him.

Seeing her blue eyes focus even momentarily on his face was enough for Frank.

"Hi," he said quietly.

She barely lifted one corner of her mouth. "Hey. Thanks for coming."

Joe choked back a strangled laugh as he finished cutting off the ropes around her hands. Leave it to Nancy to make a rescue mission sound like they had just shown up to a party she was hosting.

Frank just smiled, pushing the hair out of her face. His hand stilled when he saw the blood on her ear and neck, but he didn't say anything about it right then.

"She's free," Joe said, standing up. "Want me to carry her?"

"No," Frank said, already leaning down.

"Are you sure? Your stitches – " Joe started, but a look from Frank cut him off.

"I'm fine." He reached under Nancy and scooped up her limp weight, barely even feeling the tug in his arm.

"I didn't talk."

The words were so quiet that Frank wasn't sure she had spoken. "What?"

"I didn't talk."

Frank cradled her closer to his body, willing his love to heal her pain. "Shh. Don't worry about that now. You're amazing. You're safe, and everything's going to be fine."

* * *

**They saved her! But... what about Frank and Joe? Reviews are love :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm sorry. That's all I have to say. I've been in and out of doctor offices for health reasons and testing which has taken all of my energy and brain power. There's nothing *seriously* wrong with me, but I am dealing with some stuff. That said, it's a horrible excuse because I've had this already written! This chapter is extra long, so I hope that's a small consolation. **

**I haven't responded to reviewers yet, but you are SO appreciated: JackieJacks, Colie88, Inotia, Angelvie S, *blank*, KennaC, mereditholiver, leyapearl, Sprinkles143, Mrs Frank Hardy, SnowPrincess88, AStrike**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I do own several new prescriptions...**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 24

Nancy was okay.

That was the one thing that dominated all of Frank's thoughts. He carried her quickly through the house, ignoring the blood staining the vest that he wore. He didn't check to see if Joe was following him, though he assumed that he would.

"Is there an ambulance onsite?" Frank called as soon as he burst out of the front door.

A couple of officers ran over to him, but he didn't see any medical personnel nearby. One of the officers tried to get Frank to set Nancy down, but he wouldn't. Not until he was sure that she was going into better hands.

Fenton ran over to them and after a quick assessment of the scene said, "Come on, we can take my car. The hospital isn't far from here."

Frank nodded and took off down the street for Fenton's car. Joe was right behind him, and upon arrival Joe pulled open one of the backseat doors for Frank slip Nancy inside.

"Hey, stop!" an officer called after them.

"We have to get this girl to the hospital," Fenton said calmly.

"Yeah, fine. But we need those vests back now."

Frank impatiently pulled at the straps holding it in place, getting his off only a few seconds behind Joe. Both of them tossed them on the ground in front of the officer before climbing into their father's car. Frank cradled Nancy's head in his lap in the backseat while Fenton sped off for the hospital.

Once they were there, it was a blur of activity. As soon as Frank carried Nancy inside the emergency room doors she was taken from him and whisked away on a gurney. Apparently a bloody, unconscious girl warranted immediate attention. For that he was grateful.

"You, sir? Do you need attention?" an orderly called to Frank.

He looked down. The vest had taken the worst of Nancy's blood, but he still had some smeared on his arms and clothing.

"No, I'm fine. This is hers. Help her."

Frank reached a chair and sat down hard. It looked like she had lost so much blood.

The three Hardy men sat in the waiting room, anxious to know how their friend was doing. Frank hoped that Nancy wouldn't require surgery. He had no way of knowing how badly hurt she actually was.

Eventually someone came to examine Frank even though he insisted he was okay. It turned out that a few of his stitches pulled out, so some of the blood actually had been his. After being restitched, he returned to the waiting room, painkillers dulling the ache in his arm. He wished it could dull the other kind of pain coursing through him.

"Is there a Frank Hardy here?" A nurse asked after about an hour had passed.

Frank's head whipped up from its defeated position. "Here."

"There's a girl back there asking for you. She's been stabilized and can accept a couple of visitors."

Frank glanced at his father and brother who gestured for him to go ahead. He stood and followed the nurse back through the ominous double doors leading into the emergency room.

"She's okay?" he asked, needing to hear the words.

"Your relation to the patient?" The nurse asked.

Frank knew that he had to be a relative to hear an official report from the nurse. He didn't hesitate. "She's my fiancée." It could be true, eventually, he told himself.

"The lacerations on her arms were shallow, luckily. She probably has a concussion, which with proper treatment will heal just fine. The only worry right now is how much lasting damage the shock treatment will have on her body."

"Shock treatment?" Frank barely choked out the words.

"Yes. She told us that she had been hooked up to an electrical device for quite some time. We won't know right away what kind of damage that did to her nervous system, if any. She's young and strong, which will only be to her benefit."

"Thank you," he said, once they had arrived at Nancy's curtained area.

The nurse left him then. He took a couple seconds to brace himself for whatever condition she was in. Since she was awake, he didn't want to upset by reacting negatively. She had been strong; he could be too.

Slowly moving aside the curtain, he stepped into the little space surrounding the bed. Machines beeped noisily, monitoring her heart and breathing and probably other things. The only thing that really registered in Frank's mind was Nancy's blue eyes staring right at him when he entered.

"How are you doing?" He asked, stepping closer.

"I'm a little sore and really tired," she said, eyes drooping now that Frank was there. "But they said I should be fine."

"That's great news," Frank said encouragingly. He took her hand, trying to ignore the bandages encircling her arms and wrists. "I wasn't sure what to think when we saw you in that room – " He broke off, unable to finish without getting emotional, and he knew that she didn't want that.

"I know. I'm sorry I got into that situation. You know me – trouble seems to follow me wherever I go." She lifted the corners of her mouth in an attempt at a smile.

"Hey, don't worry about that. Because of you we were able to solve a couple of murders and gather evidence against a drug cartel. I'd say that's some good work."

Nancy just closed her eyes in response.

"Looks like those painkillers are starting to hit you," Frank said, pulling up a chair. "Go ahead and go to sleep."

"Frank?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for saving me."

Frank smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, stopping his hand when he got to her cheek and caressing the skin there. "Always, Nancy Drew. Now sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

* * *

"How's she doing?"

Frank lifted his head from where it had been resting on Nancy's bed and looked at his younger brother.

"She's okay. I think they have her on some pretty serious drugs for the pain, so she's completely out for now."

Joe pulled up his own chair and sat down next to Frank. "That's great."

"Yeah. They'll probably keep her overnight, but she should be able to finish her recovery at home."

A rare, awkward silence fell between the two brothers.

"Look, Joe – " Frank began, but Joe cut him off.

"We really don't need to talk about this. Especially not now." He gestured to Nancy for emphasis.

It was eating Frank up inside; he had to fix their fight. He sighed. "Yes, we do. Joe, I am so sorry about how I acted today. You deserve so much better."

Joe sat for a second before responding. "I appreciate that, Frank. I shouldn't have flown off the handle the way that I did, and I'm sorry for that."

Frank watched his brother carefully. "Why do I get the sense that that isn't it?"

Joe looked away. "Because it's not."

The older Hardy wasn't sure what was bothering his brother. He only knew that they needed to get it out in the open. "Talk to me. I'm listening."

"You and Dad are so much alike. You guys think the same, act the same. You even talk the same a lot of the time," Joe started, unsure how to express what he was feeling.

"Okay…"

"And I'm not part of it!" The words exploded out of Joe, louder than he intended. He glanced over to Nancy to make sure that she was still asleep. She was.

Frank didn't say anything, too stunned to open his mouth.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm just kept around for laughs. Like nothing I say is ever taken seriously, and I can't be trusted to get the job done without you looking after me."

"I'm sorry, Joe." It was all Frank could say. "I didn't know you felt that way."

Joe sighed, frustrated with himself for being so inarticulate. "Not all of the time. I know I'm different from you, and I know that's why we work. But I care about our job just as much as you do, and I work just as hard, too."

"I know that, Joe."

"And I will always be there for you, just like I know you'll be there for me. I trust in you, in us as partners. But I don't always get feeling from you."

Joe leaned back and crossed his arms, feeling like he had said his peace. He wondered when he had turned into such a girl with all of those feelings spilling out.

Frank sat and observed his brother, trying to see things from his perspective. The truth was, he didn't always treat Joe fairly. He didn't know what he would do without his best friend there with him.

"You're right. I don't show you very well that I trust you. But I do. I trust you with my life. Hell, I _have_ trusted you with my life. Nothing's changed, other than me being an ass."

"You can say that again," Joe muttered.

"Hey, I'm trying here," Frank said. "I mean it. I'm sorry, and we wouldn't be such a great team without you."

"Yeah, okay," Joe said, relieved that the conversation was almost over and his brother seemed to understand. "I just want to be Butch Cassidy sometimes."

Frank thought that was an unexpected turn in the conversation. "What?"

Joe shook his head, smiling. "Just something Nancy and I talked about once. Don't worry about it."

Suddenly something Nancy had said to Frank about his brother made sense. Obviously they had talked about this issue. Frank was a little stung that Joe would talk to Nancy instead of him, but he tried to let that feeling go. Joe and Nancy were good friends – there was no reason they shouldn't talk.

Frank just shrugged. "You can be Superman for all I care, as long as we're good."

"Awesome. It's a deal," Joe laughed.

Frank cuffed his younger brother on the shoulder. "I can't believe you thought we don't care as much about you."

"I know, right? I can be such an idiot."

"Totally."

* * *

"Really, I'm fine. I just want to get out of this place."

No one was listening to Nancy. They insisted on doing a bunch of final testing before they released her to the Hardys. She was tired of being poked and prodded.

"I know, Nancy," the nurse said. "It'll just be a little longer."

After a few more neurological tests, Nancy was finally able to sign the paperwork for release. She was still absolutely exhausted, but that didn't mean she needed to stay in the hospital. She only hoped that the tremors would get under control soon. Her muscles still occasionally convulsed in a mini-seizure – a side effect of being repeatedly tasered. Luckily Frank hadn't been around to witness one yet, but she was sure it was only a matter of time. The doctor said that they should lessen over time until it didn't happen anymore. She hoped that day would come sooner rather than later.

"Let's get you into this wheelchair," the nurse said once all the necessary papers had been signed.

"I am perfectly capable of walking," Nancy protested.

"I'm sure that you are, but this is a hospital rule. We will wheel you to the car. There is someone here for you, correct?"

After staying most of the night with her, Frank had been kicked out as they did their final testing. He promised to go get the car so they would be ready to go home as soon as she was able. She wasn't sure what had happened to Fenton or Joe, though Frank had told her that both of them had stopped in at some point.

"Yes, he should already be waiting."

"Good. Let's get you out of here, shall we?"

Frank and Joe were sitting by the entrance when Nancy was wheeled out.

"Wow, Nancy. I didn't know you were that lazy."

Nancy tried to swat at Joe as she was wheeled past. "I already argued with her, but she wouldn't listen to me."

"That's right," the nurse said.

"Dad's right outside with the car," Frank said, walking next to Nancy.

Within a few minutes they were all inside the car and on route for the Hardy family home.

"So fill me in on what happened," Nancy said. "I know that I was held hostage, and I know that eventually the police stormed the place. But I have no idea what happened before or after that."

The Hardys took turns telling her about the events surrounding her rescue. Nancy listened attentively, asking questions, especially about how the CIA got involved. As they finished, one important thing was missing from their story.

"What about Marco? He went out the window." Nancy frowned. "I'm pretty sure I told someone that."

"You did," Joe confirmed. "Unfortunately, he wasn't recovered."

"What?" She asked in disbelief.

Frank winced. "He slipped through the cracks somehow. No one saw him exit the house and he had disappeared before anyone had a chance to look for him."

"So now what? Con is still a lead suspect?"

"We hope not," Fenton answered. "Hopefully we'll have enough evidence to get him released. All of this will be a little tricky, though, with the upheaval of the police department, what with Chief Clarke arrested on drug charges, among other things."

"Wow, I missed a lot."

"That's what you get for sleeping for fifteen hours straight," Joe said, shaking his head.

Nancy glared at the back of his head but didn't say anything. Frank just squeezed her hand, happy that she was well enough to be back to bickering with his younger brother.

* * *

**Just one chapter left... Reviews are love!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

The Cracked Badge

Chapter 25

For all of Nancy's talk about being fine, as soon as they got home that day she had climbed up to Joe's bedroom and fallen back into bed. Frank had checked on her within minutes and she was already asleep. He had told himself not to worry – in the days after his recent hospital stay he had barely been conscious, too.

Over the course of the next few days Nancy spent progressively more time up and about. The agents that had stepped in to help at that Clarke house rescue came by to debrief her on her experience. Then the police had to get a statement so that Con could officially be exonerated.

Carson Drew, Nancy's father, had been informed of what happened, and while he was willing to cancel every appointment in his book to fly to New York that day, Nancy convinced him that she was doing fine. She had already decided that her next long trip would be to River Heights. She was still debating over whether or not to ask Frank to accompany her.

Three days after coming back from the hospital, Frank knocked lightly on Nancy's door at his parents' house. Even though he felt ready to move back to his own place, he wanted Nancy to recover fully before having to change things around.

"Come in," she called.

Frank opened the door to see Nancy sitting up in bed, pushing her red hair out of her face.

"Just wake up?" He asked, sitting down to face her.

"Of course not," she said, though her sheepish smile betrayed her.

"Hey, it's okay," Frank said, trying to be reassuring. "The doctor said it would be normal for you to sleep a lot for the next week."

"I know," Nancy sighed. "I just hate being cooped up here, even though I really don't feel like doing anything else. I can only imagine how Con has been feeling in jail."

"The good news is that he's scheduled to be released today, assuming all of the evidence comes through okay."

"That's great. We should go say hi in a few days. For now I don't think I'm up to the company."

"Tell you what," Frank said, resting his hand on her leg. "Why don't you get dressed and I'll take you to a late breakfast? Just you and me, for once."

Nancy smiled. "That sounds great. I probably should shower, though."

Frank leaned in and sniffed, jokingly. "Nah, you're fine. Just get dressed."

She laughed and pushed him away. "Thanks for that." Nancy paused and looked down.

He noticed the change in her demeanor immediately. "What is it?"

"Um, It's just, it's really hard to get dressed and change my bandages on my own. Your Mom's been helping me, but…"

Suddenly Frank understood why his mother had spent so much time with Nancy over the last few days. It honestly hadn't occurred to him that she would need help with something like getting dressed. Big rescues he was used to, but Nancy always seemed too strong for something as seemingly small as changing clothes to cause her problems.

"Mom went out shopping, I think."

"Oh," Nancy said quietly. "Do you think…"

"Yeah, I can help you. Not a problem."

There was no reason for either of them to be awkward about this. It's not like Frank had never seen Nancy naked. It was weirder for him to see her so helpless. But he had so adamantly declared that they would not be getting intimate in the near future that both of them were a little gun-shy.

"So, clothes or bandages first?" Frank asked, trying to stay businesslike.

"Bandages," Nancy said. "There are some extra rolls of gauze in that bag." Carefully she began peeling back the old layer of gauze on one of her arms. Examining herself closely, she was happy to find that while not completely closed, the long cut seemed to healing well with no sign of infection.

If she noticed Frank's hesitation after seeing her wounds for himself, she didn't let on.

Frank found the roll easily, trying to treat Nancy like a patient and not the person he was in love with. If he was unable to maintain a level of detachment he might just have to go find that Marco guy and beat his face in, since the police hadn't found him yet. He didn't think she would approve.

After carefully applying ointment, Frank rewrapped her arms. He knew that it still hurt her to move them, but unless she was completely immobile it was impossible to avoid. He hated that she was constantly in pain. At least with him he only had to deal with one arm. He almost laughed, thinking about the two of them.

Nancy noticed the twinkle in his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how the two of us are a matched set – a pair of invalids."

She chuckled. "That's true. But hopefully not for much longer, for either of us."

After both arms were wrapped, Frank put the roll away and faced Nancy. "Okay, now what?"

"Um, I can handle the lower half just fine, but I have trouble lifting things over my head. Or, um, reaching around to my back," Nancy looked up at him, hoping he understood.

To his credit, he only barely turned pink. After Frank pulled out a shirt for her, he also grabbed a bra that was inside her suitcase.

"Will this one do?"

Nancy couldn't help laughing. "Sure."

"So what would be the best way to do this?" Frank asked, suddenly feeling anxious. He'd be lying if he denied that some part of him was excited at the prospect of seeing Nancy naked, but he didn't want her to feel like he was taking advantage of the situation.

Nancy scooted around until her back was facing Frank. She only wore a tank top on her upper half. "Why don't you pull up from the bottom hem while I lift my arms? Then you can slide the bra over my arms and clasp it."

It shouldn't have been such a production, Frank knew. He wasn't Joe, but he wasn't exactly inexperienced in undressing a girl. But it was important to him that Nancy be completely comfortable in her vulnerability.

Barely touching her skin, he took the hem in his fingers and slowly drew the fabric up her back. Nancy lifted her arms when he reached her shoulders so he was able to gently pull the garment all the way off of her. Frank was already testing the limits of his self-control, but when Nancy shook her head to straighten her red hair from the tank top, he thought he might die. It was perhaps the sexiest thing he had ever seen, combined with the completely bare skin of her back less than a foot in front of him.

"Frank?"

Nancy's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He realized that he had been staring at that spot on her back where her shoulder blades almost meet her spine. He had been debating over whether or not he could get away with touching it.

"Yeah, sorry. Here." He slid the straps of the bra onto her arms until the clasp was in his hands, waiting to be hooked in place.

He tried to slip the hooks into the rings… and failed. Then tried again, and failed again.

"How do you do this?" He asked. He knew he could probably get the thing off easily enough, but on? He'd never had to do that before.

Nancy laughed at Frank's struggle. "Just keep trying. You'll get it."

Finally he did. With just that small barrier between Nancy's nakedness and himself, Frank found that he could breathe a little easier. That didn't mean he didn't still want to touch her, of course, but at least there wasn't an expanse of bare skin in front of him anymore.

Nancy, for all of her ease in front of Frank, was having a harder time than she let on. And it wasn't about sex. He was being so kind, so gentle. It was as if he had to treat her carefully so she wouldn't break. Normally, that would irritate her beyond belief. But after her latest experience she was willing to endure some pampering. Every motion he made was filled with a tangible love – she could feel it in his touch, his words.

Frank couldn't resist. He brushed her hair aside and pressed a light, lingering kiss onto the skin at the base of her neck. He held onto her shoulder carefully, touching her nowhere else.

Nancy closed her eyes at the contact. After one final peck, his lips were gone for good and she let out a sigh.

Frank just smiled, knowing that if they were still going to breakfast that they needed to leave soon. He slid a new thick-strapped tank top onto her arms and over her head, helping her settle it in place on her body.

"I can take it from here, Frank," Nancy said, turning to face him.

"Okay. I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes." Frank got up to leave, but Nancy grabbed his hand.

"Frank. Thank you."

"Of course. I know it was probably more awkward with me than with Mom, but I'll always help you if you need it."

"No, not for that. Well, yes, but I mean, thank you for coming for me. I knew that you would. I knew I just needed to hang on long enough for you to come."

Frank sat back down and cupped Nancy's cheek with his large hand. "I'll always come for you. I'd go halfway around the world for you."

"I know."

"Always," Frank said again.

Nancy leaned in and pressed her lips to Frank's. She knew it wouldn't turn into a huge will-they-won't-they situation or a confusing step back. It was a kiss between two people who deeply loved each other. It didn't have to be more or less. Maybe they were growing up.

After a moment, Frank pulled away. Without saying anything else, he disappeared downstairs to wait for her.

Once Nancy had pulled on a pair of shorts, she gingerly went down the stairs to meet Frank. She was surprised to find all of the Hardys in the living room, Fenton with paperwork spread out, Laura having just arrived home with some shopping bags, and Joe watching a baseball game on TV. Frank was at the base of the stairs waiting for her.

It didn't matter that she had just been with him up in her room. Seeing Frank caused a huge smile to bloom across Nancy's face and she was powerless to control it. She was comforted to see that he was having a similar problem.

After a few seconds, Frank tore his eyes away from her to address the room. "Hey guys?" The other Hardys looked up from what they were doing to stare at him. "I just thought you should know that Nancy and I are together. We have been, actually, since Europe."

No one said anything for a moment.

"All right, pay up," Fenton said to Joe, holding out his hand.

"You guys couldn't have waited one more day for this announcement?" Joe whined as he pulled out his wallet. "Thanks for nothing."

"You lose, fair and square," Fenton said, collecting a twenty dollar bill from his son.

"What a second," Frank said. "You knew? And were betting on us?"

"I didn't tell them," Joe said, holding his hands up in the air. "But really, did you think you were fooling anyone?"

"Mom?" Frank asked, turning to the one person who hadn't said anything.

She sighed, then said, "Yes, of course I knew. You were quite obvious about it, dear."

"Why didn't anyone say anything?" Nancy asked, trying to push away her blush.

Laura answered, "We figured it was none of our business."

"And we wanted to see how long it would take you to tell us yourselves," Fenton said.

Nancy and Frank surveyed the people in the room one more time, waiting for the shock to wear off.

Frank turned to Nancy, decisively. "Well, in that case," he said, taking her face in his hands and covering her mouth with his own.

Nancy was too surprised to do anything other than let him, soon forgetting that his family was staring at them intently. He was so warm, so soft…

"Ahem." Joe's voice brought them back to the present. "Just because we know about you two and are okay with it, doesn't mean we want to witness it."

"Oh, hush dear," Laura said, swatting her youngest boy with a towel. "I think it's sweet."

Nancy laughed. It was all she could do to keep herself from exploding with happiness.

"Shall we?" Frank asked, taking her hand.

"Always," she said, echoing Frank's earlier words. As he always had, he understood what she was really saying and pressed a kiss to her hand.

"Wait," Frank said, stopping when they got to the car outside.

"What is it?"

"We still haven't told one person."

"Who?"

"Your dad." Frank cringed. "I have a feeling he might kill me."

Nancy pressed herself against Frank in a loose hug. "I have an idea."

"Anything," Frank said, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head.

"How about we do it in person?"

* * *

**Fin. For now. Again.**

**Finishing my second multi-chapter HB/ND story is just as bittersweet as the finishing the first. I have loved getting to know some of you on a deeper level, and I am so grateful for everybody's support and love. I have definitely felt it through the screen :)**

**As for the book drawing: I'll cap it at a week from today, at which point I will randomly select a couple of people and PM them. You can always decline and I'll select someone else. It's my (too limited) way of saying thank you to the wonderful people who take time to review - you have no idea how wonderful I think you all are, even those who have had criticism. **

**In other news, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo again this year. If you don't know what that is, google it! It's awesome! If anyone is willing to be my cheerleader (not even critique-r at this point, just someone to read it and tell me they love it and to keep writing...lol), let me know. I'd love for you to read it. **

**You are all beautiful, wonderful people and I'll be back with more soon!**


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